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Woman Arrested For Animal Cruelty After 26 Cats, Dogs, Squirrels And An Owl Found In Her Home
Donna Scirocco is facing six counts of animal cruelty and her Hamden, Connecticut home has been condemned.
A Connecticut woman has been arrested after authorities found three dead animals in her home and seized more than two dozen living cats along with dogs, squirrels and an owl from her property, police said on Wednesday.
Donna Scirocco turned herself in Tuesday because of an arrest warrant charging her with six counts of animal cruelty, police in Hamden, Connecticut said. The 59-year-old posted a $5,000 bond and was ordered to appear in court on Feb. 5.
Animal control officials executed a search warrant at Scirocco's home on Oct. 26 after neighbors complained about a stench coming from the house and rats running around the neighborhood, police Capt. Ronald Smith said.
Police said they found a total of 37 living animals in the house, including 26 cats, six dogs, two caged squirrels and a blind owl. There were also two large rats in the home, officials said. Authorities said that they also found two dead cats and a dead woodchuck. Health officials have condemned the property, Smith said.
Officials in Hamden, a town just north of New Haven, allege that the animals discovered in Scirocco’s home were neglected and cruelly treated. All the animals were taken to veterinary hospitals for evaluation. A few of them had to be euthanized and the remainder are now being kept at several animal shelters, Smith said.
It was not immediately clear whether Scirocco has a lawyer who could respond to the allegations against her. Telephone listings for her are no longer in service.
