‘Everybody was gagging.’ Broward deputies find more than 70 cats inside a home

More than 70 cats were rescued from deplorable conditions after a social media post prompted a welfare check from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and Broward Animal Care.

Diana Salcedo, an animal rights activist, said she filed a complaint with Broward County Animal Care after seeing posts on Faceook of a woman who allegedly had dozens of cats in her home.

She said she was worried that the cats were not getting the care they needed.

“When we showed up, the scene was horrendous,” Salcedo said. “We heard cats screeching, screaming [and] the stench was unbearable.”

When sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home to investigate the complain, Salcedo said the officials gagged when they saw the cat’s living conditions.

“We saw feces on the ground, officers came out gagging, their eyes were watering [and] they said the air was unbearable,” Salcedo said. “Everybody was gagging. The police officer that got close, he literally almost puked.”

The cats were removed from the home and taken to the Broward County animal shelter.

“We worked with the owner and she signed them over to us, which means we can afford them medical care and can find placement for them,” said Emily Wood, director of Broward County Animal Care. “So we’re asking rescue groups [and] volunteers to see if they can help.”

Salcedo says the woman who had the cats was bringing in street cats in order to care for them.

“If you’re worried about a neighbor or friend who might have 70 some cats in one home, we’d love to come out and talk to them,” Wood said. “And see if we can help and get those animals better care or remove them from the home if appropriate.”

This report is from Miami Herald news partner CBS Miami.

This story was originally published October 17, 2022 at 1:14 PM.