24310 Whip O Will Lane, Bonita Springs, FL 34135 - Lee County
Hoarder
NEWS
136 cats removed from Bonita Springs home
September 25, 2015
BONITA SPRINGS, Fla.- Hundreds of cats, including nine dead felines, were removed from a home on Whip O Will Lane Wednesday by Lee County Domestic Animal Services (LCDAS).
Three dogs and a total of 136 live cats were rescued from the home. Nine cats were found dead, some inside a freezer next to frozen food.
Animal services says the floors inside the home were covered with urine, garbage, and piles of feces, some as high as 2 feet. The house has been deemed unsafe to live in by code enforcement.
Cats were found in places like drawers, cabinets, closets and couches. A report states the smell of ammonia inside the home was so overpowering, officers had to wear full HAZMAT suits and masks. Officers spent more than eight hours gathering the animals, but some were left behind as authorities were unable to capture them.
Neighbors say they knew the owner liked to take in stray animals, but they never imagined just how many were inside the home.
“She’s been known for several years as far as taking care of all the stray cats,” said neighbor Barry Koburn.
The owner of the home advertised online and on social media that she was operating a rescue home called “Halfway Home Animal Shelter and Rescue.” A Crowdfunding page also established says the home is bursting at the seams with homeless kittens and asks for donations.
The homeowner says she was operating a legitimate rescue for the cats, but fell behind on cleaning. She also denied keeping dead cats in the freezer.
The animals were all taken in by animal services for care and treatment while the case is under investigation. It is unknown whether the homeowner will face charges.
Lee County removes 136 cats from hoarder home in Bonita
2015-09-25
By Karl Fortier
BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. - Lee County Domestic Animal Services removed almost 150 cats from deplorable conditions inside a Bonita Springs home Wednesday - and some of them didn't make it out alive. The home is in the 24000 block of Whip-O-Will Lane.
It took DAS officers 8 and a half hours to remove 136 cats from the home, plus 9 that had died, as well as 3 dogs.
"Animal control was in and out of here all day, late into the night," said Barry Coburn, who lives across the street.
"I mean every time a vehicle would leave, another one would come."
A report on the incident said that the smell of urine and feces inside the home was overwhelming, with a large amount of feces on the floor.
Photos taken by DAS officers show how disgusting conditions were throughout the house, which was filled with cats kept in crates and overflowing litter boxes. The home's address was listed on various Internet sites as being an animal sanctuary, but the pictures suggest that it was anything but that.
Most of the dead cats were found stored in freezers - right next to containers of ice cream. The living 136 cats, plus the 3 dogs, were taken to Lee County Animal Services.
"There's no way she could keep track of them," said Barry's wife Chris, referring to the numerous cats the couple would see roaming around the property. "Bless her heart, I can't help it...I feel kind of sorry for her."
The report does not indicate what, if any, charges could be filed against the home's resident, Cheryl Reed. But several signs attached to her front gate from Bonita Springs Code Enforcement urge her to contact them.
The Lee County Animal Care Trust Fund assists with the care and rehabilitation of animals such as those removed from the home. For information on how to help, you can visit www.LeeLostPets.com or call 239-533-7387.
Animal services raid uncovers extreme case of hoarding
Sep 25, 2015
By Andrea Hubbell
A Bonita Springs nonprofit is closed Friday night after investigators found more than 100 cats -- dead and alive -- on the property.
Lee County Animal Services raided the home on Whip O Will Lane and found it full of feces and smelling so bad that neighbors were complaining.
It took nearly nine hours to remove all the animals.
Neighbor Peter Gurlitt and his wife, Angela, weren't sure how many cats there were until the crates kept coming out.
"I couldn't believe it," Peter Gurlitt said.
"They didn't make any noise," Angela Gurlitt said, "but then the smell started."
Angela Gurlitt said her neighbor is nice, and that good intentions led her to take on dozens of animals -- claiming they were rescues.
"It got worse," she said. "The smell got worse."
It turned out there were 60-plus cats inside the house and another 40-plus cats outside in a shelter that had been created.
Nine dead cats were found inside the homeowner's freezer.
Animal services called it an extreme case of animal hoarding.
Two feet of feces were on the floor, and there were overflowing litter boxes in the corner. The conditions, in fact, were so severe that the home has been condemned.
The cats were taken to the animal services shelter for care and treatment and will be held there while the case is under investigation.
"I couldn't imagine what was inside of the house," Angela Gurlitt said. "We didn't know. I couldn't believe it."
