12 Dogs + 4 Cats + Birds and Squirrels = Squalor: Cops
A man, a woman, a teen and a 20-something were living with too many animals and squalor, according to cops.
West Haven police were investigating computer crimes at a home on Bassett Court when they found a residence so overrun with animals and feces that the health department has condemned it.
A man, a woman and her two children, ages 22 and 15, were living in a house with 12 dogs, at least four cats, several birds and two squirrels, West Haven police say. The woman, who works for a veterinary clinic, referred to the man as her fiance. The neighbors said the man and woman are cousins.
The conditions were so squalid, authorities say, that police had to wear haz-mat suits and respiratory masks just to enter the dwelling.
Kitty litter and feces covered the floor in one room, just feet from the teenager’s bed, investigators said. They found similar debris in the attic and much of the house.
Neighbors, who asked not to be identified, said they have been complaining for years to both police and animal control.
An animal control officer had been at the house in recent weeks but stayed only a few minutes and reported no problem, they said.
So far, no one has been charged in connection with the conditions found in the home but police do expect the adults to be charged.
They also expect to file charges in connection with the computer crimes but it is unclear at this point whether one person or all the people living in the home will be charge6d.
All of the adults are now staying elsewhere. The 15 year old, police said, is with his biological father.
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