Linda Giaccio - Lighthouse Point
Hoarding
NEWS STORIES
Locked Minivan Turns Into Kitty Death Trap
C H A R L E S T O N, S.C.,
July 24, 2001
Police have charged a 54-year-old woman with animal neglect after finding almost 60 cats, including three dead ones, inside a hot minivan parked downtown.
Linda Giaccio is charged with five counts of animal neglect, said Howard Futrell, supervising officer for Charleston police animal services. Giaccio was apparently returning to her new home in Florida after a road trip to Philadelphia for a court appearance, Futrell said. She took the cats because she didn't trust anyone to take care of them while she was gone. Authorities have not determined what killed the three dead cats and another is not expected to live.
Stench Inside Van 'Overpowering'
Futrell said he didn't see any food or water and the van was like a rolling litter box. "The stench was overpowering," he said. Giaccio was accompanied by an elderly man who has been hospitalized for chest and respiratory problems, Futrell said. The live cats and a poodle were being cared for late Monday at the John Ancrum Society for the Protection of Animals. Most appeared to be in reasonably good shape, except for an extreme need for bathing, said Dr. Robert Carlson, SPCA executive director. Carlson said the woman's veterinarian in Philadelphia told him Monday that Giaccio had adequately cared for the cats in the past.
August 15, 2001
LINDA GIACCIO, who was taking her 56 cats from Florida to Philadelphia in a van, "because she did not trust anyone in Florida to look after them," is paying the price for having a compassionate heart in a mostly cold, ignorant and greed-driven society.
There are many Linda Giaccios in our neighborhoods, people who care about the welfare of the millions of stray animals created by the callous ignorance of "pet owners" who don't get their four-legged companions spayed or neutered.
Two groups of people are involved in attempting to reduce the millions of stray dogs and cats - "rescuers" and "collectors."
Rescuers are those who - if they cannot find homes for these strays - trap, neuter/spay and vaccinate the animals before releasing them. Collectors are governed mostly from the heart, without regard to the health and welfare of either the animals or themselves, tending to become overwhelmed by the sheer numbers they take in.
Rescuers are focused on their task, but collectors may lose sight of reality and end up incarcerating large numbers of animals in living hells, all the while believing they're doing good for the animals.
Giaccio should have had her life better planned before taking under her care the lives of 56 other sentient beings.
Because the humane agents called to get the cats out of Giaccio's van were overwhelmed, a few of her cats escaped, and now find themselves in totally strange surroundings - strangers in a strange land.
There are many victims in this case of "animal cruelty," but the real perpetrators of this crime - backyard breeders and careless, irresponsible pet owners - will never be brought to trial. *
Authorities discover nearly 100 animals in filth, some dead
Sep 2, 2016
LIGHTHOUSE POINT, Fla. (WSVN) – Authorities made a disturbing discovery in Light House Point, Friday, where a woman allegedly hoarded dozens of animals.
Lighthouse Point Police and Fire Rescue found 60 to 80 cats and dogs, some dead, in their own waste, which had accumulated to toxic levels over several years inside of 69-year-old Linda Giaccio’s home.
According to authorities, police were called to the home after a dog escaped from the home and attacked a neighborhood dog. After this, Lighthouse Point Police were able to retrieve a search warrant, allowing them access into the home, Friday morning.
Once they arrived to the home, the fumes were too much to bare.
Authorities said Lighthouse Point fire rescue crews had to enter the home wearing hazmat suits and special breathing equipment with tanks since the fumes were so toxic and pungent. They said they could not breathe or open their eyes once they stepped inside.
Once inside, they found the unimaginable. Authorities had to extract dead animals among the living animals.
According to investigators, the dozens of cats and dogs had not been outside for years, so the living conditions they were found in were deplorable.
Lighthouse Point Police Chief Ross Lucata said this is the worse case of animal hoarding and cruelty he had ever seen in his years on the force.
“We’ve all been in this business for a long time,” Lucata said. “I’ve been almost 40 years, and I’ve never been in a house with such horrible conditions as I’ve witnessed in here.”
Lucata said that they were still unable to access some of the rooms in the house. “It appears that the homeowner partitioned off areas within the house. There are a number of rooms that we have not been able to access. It looks like there were little openings in the bottoms where someone may have been been passing food and water through,” Lucata said. “There is feces an inch to two thick throughout the entire house. There are cages with animals, animals running loose, dead animals in the house. They’re climbing in the walls, they’re in the attic. It’s a very serious condition.”
A neighbor said for the past 16 years, he had smelled the stench coming from inside of the home, but there was nothing he could do.
“They’re all encased in that house. They don’t go out. That’s why the stench is so bad,” Fred, a neighbor, said. “For the street, for the community, it should have been done quite a while ago.”
Another neighbor said they had entered the home from the backyard in order to try to help Giaccio, but the years of damage was simply irreversible.
Nearby residents said Giaccio had owned the home for many years. However, whether or not she had recently been living inside of the home is unclear. These neighbors said there was no way she could have been living inside since the piles of toxic waste made the home uninhabitable.
“Usually, we just see her sleeping beneath that window. Sickening to be honest, but it’s not surprising,” another neighbor said.
Jane Croley, a neighbor, said she’s always seen cats laying in the front window.
“I can’t believe it. I mean I’ve always seen cats laying up there on the window,” Croley said.
Giaccio, who has been accused of hoarding, was nowhere to be found when police arrived to the home. While police were able to speak to her over the phone, they want her to turn herself in. They also urge people who have seen her or know of her whereabouts to call Lighthouse Point Police.
Lighthouse Point authorities, along with the help of Broward County Animal Control and Palm Beach County Animal Control, have pulled out about two dozen or so animals from inside of the home. However, they still have a lot of work to do.
So far, police have found 56 cats, four of them dead, and 10 dogs in total. However, there are still animals inside some of the walls, AC ducts, as well as the attic. Therefore, authorities have left traps inside in hopes of safely capturing these remaining animals.
Officials said it is going to take several days until all of the animals, dead and alive, are successfully removed from the rotting home.
The scene remains active as the animal cruelty and hoarding investigation continues.
If you know of Giaccio’s whereabouts or about this case, please call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS or Lighthouse Point Police at 954-942-8080. Remember, if you call Crime Stoppers, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
Dozens of neglected pets removed from filthy Lighthouse Point home
Sep 2, 2016
Detectives had to don head-to-toe hazmat suits before they could bear to enter the alleged animal hoarder's reeking Lighthouse Point home Friday morning, police said.
Once inside, they found about 60 neglected cats, seven abused dogs and six dead felines, said Commander Jack Vaccaro, a spokesman for the Lighthouse Point Police Department.
"The home is in horrific, dirty conditions," Vaccaro said. "There was two inches of built up feces on the floor with urine everywhere."
Flies covered the inside of a front window and the overbearing stench of animal feces and urine could be smelled from the front yard when investigators first visited earlier in the week to inquire about the well-being of the animals living there. The homeowner refused to let them in, Vaccaro said.
Once inside on Friday, investigators also discovered there was no running water or electricity when they served a search warrant alleging animal neglect and abuse at the single family home in the 2200 block of Northeast 38th Street.
The home is in horrific, dirty conditions. There was two inches of built up feces on the floor with urine everywhere. — Commander Jack Vaccaro, Lighthouse Point Police Department
By early afternoon animals were still being removed from the filthy residence, Vaccaro said.
"Initial assessment of the animals revealed signs of neglect and ongoing animal cruelty," Vaccaro said. The pets will be examined and treated by licensed professionals, he said.
Criminal charges are pending against the homeowner, Linda Giaccio, 69, Vaccaro said.
"Linda Giaccio has an extensive past history in Lighthouse Point and other cities in Broward County of hoarding numerous animals causing community concerns relating to public health and animal abuse," Vaccaro said.
Court records show Giaccio has been fined numerous times since 2009 for feeding feral animals in Pompano Beach.
Giaccio and her herd of cats and canines came onto police radar Monday when one of her dogs escaped from her backyard and attacked another dog that was being walked on a leash by its owner, Vaccaro said.
A veterinarian who tended to Giaccio's escaped dog "found signs of severe emaciation and neglect," Vaccaro said.
When investigators visited to inquire about the dog-bite incident, Giaccio turned them away. "The stench of animal odor inside of this residence was so strong it could be detected outside in the front yard," Vaccaro said.
He said when Giaccio was evicted from a home in Hollywood three weeks ago, she was seen leaving the property in a van loaded with about 60 cats and dogs.
Numerous animals removed from home in Lighthouse Point
September 02, 2016
LIGHTHOUSE POINT, Fla. - Numerous animals were found dead and alive Friday inside a home in Lighthouse Point, authorities said.
Local 10 News reporter Jeff Weinsier was at the scene at 2230 NE 38th St. and said dozens of animals were taken out of the home, including 10 dogs, 56 cats that were alive and four dead cats.
Traps were set to capture other cats that authorities were unable to pick up.
Police said they also found animal feces two to three inches thick throughout the home.
"I know she had a lot of cats. They called her the cat lady, and there was an odor lately. I never knew she had dogs," neighbor Jane Crowley said. "I had to figure something like that was going on after we kept smelling the smell. It wasn't as bad as it is now."
According to police, one of the dogs escaped from the home several days ago and bit another dog.
The dog was taken to a veterinarian and was determined to be in poor condition.
"She had three dogs back there. They were all starved (and) missing hair," neighbor Zachary Damon said.
Records show that the homeowner and accused animal hoarder, Linda Giaccio, 69, was previously cited for similar accusations in Pompano Beach.
This is a 2010 arrest photo of Linda Giaccio, who is accused of hoarding animals at a Lighthouse Point home.
She was also arrested in 2001 in South Carolina while moving to Florida. Charleston police said 60 cats, including three dead ones, were found inside her hot minivan during the road trip.
She was charged with animal neglect.
Police said Giaccio was initially cooperating with the latest investigation, but now is nowhere to be found.
Neighbors said she has owned the home for 16 years, but might have just been hoarding the animals at the house and living somewhere else.
"It has always been a problem. This is the first time they have done this," Damon said. "She came back and left., came back and left."Giaccio is expected to face animal cruelty charges.
New Photos From Inside Filthy Lighthouse Point Home Where Dozens of Animals Were Found
Feb 23, 2017
The photos show the home on Northeast 38th Street where authorities say 69-year-old Linda Giaccio had eight dogs and 56 cats, plus 12 dead pets.
City of Lighthouse Point. Inside the Lighthouse Point home where police say a woman was keeping dozens of animals.
Newly-released photos are giving a look at the deplorable conditions inside a Lighthouse Point home where investigators say a woman was keeping dozens of animals including some that had died.
The photos show the home on Northeast 38th Street where authorities say 69-year-old Linda Giaccio had eight dogs and 56 cats, plus 12 dead pets.
Inside the Lighthouse Point home where dozens of animals were found.
Photo credit: City of Lighthouse Point
Giaccio is facing some 66 counts of animal cruelty and was released on bond. She has entered a not guilty plea and is due back in court in May.
The photos show a room inside the home with no furniture, only feces-covered floors and some animal cages. Officers had to wear hazmat suits just to go inside the home, which had floors covered with two inches of urine and feces, officials said.
Lighthouse Point Police Chief Ross Licata said it's the worst case of animal hoarding he's seen in his 40 years of law enforcement.
Neighbors said they had smelled a bad odor coming from the home for as far back as they can remember and knew there were animals inside but had no idea how many.
Lighthouse Point woman speaks after arrest for animal hoarding
March 01, 2017
LIGHTHOUSE P - Linda Giaccio is facing jail time after more than 70 animals were found in her home that appeared to be in distress.
Of those animals, one was dead and others were sick as they were living in their own waste.
Now, Giaccio says that she was trying to save the dogs and cats that were in her care.
"I took them in," she said. "Yes, I took too many in. Yes, I admit that. But you look at them, and how could you let them get killed when you could maybe save them?"
Giaccio, along with her attorney Jordan Lewin, said she is against killing pets out of convenience.
She has kept animal food and vet bills that date back years – when they were discovered in November, many of the animals that were found were in distress and were put down.
"To turn around and kill all the ones that I rescued, I'm having a horrible time with it,"Giaccio said. "And they're portraying me at the evil one. I took them in because I cared and I wanted to help them. They took them and killed them."
Giaccio said a combination of losing her job, getting ill, and taking in too many animals in need led to what you see here.
She said she was evicted a few weeks prior from her Hollywood rental forced back to this gutted Lighthouse Point home she owns.
"I can only justify that for 28 years my house was always spotless, anytime animal control or the police came in it was always spotless, and the animals cared for, " Giaccio said. "I was sick. I couldn't physically do it myself and no one come because I didn't have money to pay them."
Lewin added to Giaccio’s statement.
"The spirit of this prosecution, is almost outrageous," Lewin said. "They understand that she was an individual that became overwhelmed and had been taking care of pets for years."
Both Lewin and Giaccio are contending that Lighthouse Point has been targeting Giaccio for years because she didn't fit into this well-manicured area."
"This is crazy," Giaccio said. "I'm being persecuted. I didn't hurt those animals. I did the best I could to save them."
ARRESTS-CHARGES
DOB:01/28/1947
06/22/2010
Impound/Confine Animals
07/19/2010
Impound/Confine Animals
01/13/2016
Removal of Tenant
12-23-2015
Interfere with an Officer
ANIMAL CARE AND ADOPTION DIVISION
09/02/2016
71 charges - 828.12(2)-Aggravated Animal Cruelty
3rd Degree Felony
Warrant# 16010542CF10A1 (InActive)
Type: Capias - Add Charge
Bond Amount: $165000.00
Date Served: 11/20/2016
Hold Without Bail Bond: No
