Sick cats are now being cared for and will be available for adoption later. — © AEPA
France –
Buried in the garden, hidden under patio tiles or frozen between pizzas. Police, alerted by neighbors who complained about odor nuisance, found 117 dead cats in a home in the south of France. Another 38 animals were alive, but sick. The 66-year-old resident has been arrested.
The smell was unbearable, neighbors say. They alerted the Animal Protection Investigators Association (AEPA). French animal protection then notified the gendarmerie.
During a search of a neglected and remote home in La Roquette-sur-Siagne, in the French department of Alpes-Maritimes, he discovered dozens of sick cats. Some animals managed to escape before they could be captured. They are still wanted because it is feared that they could pass on diseases to other healthy cats in the area.
According to the Grasse prosecutor, what else the search yielded defies all imagination.
Freezer
Cat carcasses were found in every possible place in the house. Including in a large chest freezer between pizzas and vegetables. But also wrapped in plastic in cupboards and in the attic. “Cat bodies were also found outside, buried in the garden and hidden under patio tiles. No fewer than 117 in total,” says the prosecutor.
The 66-year-old resident, a single man, was taken into custody, said Nathalie Bassot of the AEPA. He has already been summoned to appear before the Grasse criminal court for similar complaints in the past. According to French media, the man has psychological problems.