The Nevada Humane Society has brought in dozens of adoptable cats after 101, including four pregnant ones, were seized from an area home earlier this week during a welfare check, with one neighbor saying these cats should have been rescued much sooner, and that Code Enforcement and other local authorities did not take the situation seriously despite repeated complaints dating back to 2023.
The neighbor sent screenshots of the service requests and of the cats at the house which they say was from 2023.
The director of Washoe County Regional Animal Services Shyanne Schull has told local media the agency she leads had been unable to visit the property with all the cats for quite some time even though it had tried to do so.
The individuals residing in that home who have not been identified are reported to have been charged with unsanitary conditions, endangering animals, not having proper permitting and failure to provide wholesome food, water, and air.
Homeowners in Washoe County are required to have a special permit if they have more than seven cats.
Four dogs were also seen on the property.
“My family and I have made complaints to the city, animal control and the health department about the house that recently just had 101 cats taken,” the neighbor who wished to remain anonymous wrote to us.
“We actually were concerned for the animals inside as well as the smell that came from that house,” they added. “It's attracted flies and rodents because the amount of cat litter they dumped a day into the trash can that even was getting dumped into our yard.”
Nuisance service requests that were sent out dating back to 2023 indicate the smell was “overwhelming from every direction,” and “the smell of the property indicates death or animal hoarding situation.”
Twice documents indicate Code Enforcement looked into the situation but closed the case.
In December 2023 a memo indicates the case was closed after “no foul odors of any kind were smelled or noticed.” Earlier this year, a memo indicates a “Code Enforcement Officer conducted site inspection and could not smell anything out of the ordinary. 4 people walked out of the property so no one is dead inside the house. CEO called Reporting Party and informed her to call Washoe County for the cats. Advised that there are no violations that I can see from the public right of way. Closing case.”