Thirty cats were found in grim cages, filled with droppings near a Bethpage State Park trail-where a homeless Hoarder camp set up after he fell out with his mother, said civil servants.
The cat and the Kitty colony for the Southern State Parkway had little food and water and were exposed to the elements in the Hoarderkamp marked by fallen trees, piles of empty soft drink bottles and other diverse waste, according to rescuers and photos of the scene.
The cages, who were discovered on Tuesday evening by children who drove their bikes, also had gaping holes in it, making the cats vulnerable to wander the nearby traffic of 55 miles per hour.
“I treated pretty bad situations, but this was one of the worst,” told animal rescuer John Debacker, vice -president of Long Island Cat/Kitten Solution, to The Post.
There were about five cats on a cage or playing that were filled with droppings – while their food and water dishes were “bone dry”, he said.
“It was quite sick when I came up … and they could easily have wandered the parkway.”
A 29-year-old homeless man, Thomas McDermott, is supposed to keep them in the disgusting cages for about a week-inclusive by an intense rainstorm on Saturday evening, according to Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly.
“It is very sad … We could immediately see that he was hoarding these cats,” she told the position of the scene on Tuesday evening.
McDermott was arrested for criminal contempt after violating the command of protection that his mother had submitted against him, who had brought him out of her house, added the DA.
“I opened a criminal investigation into the [McDermott] He claims that these are his cats. ‘
The Hoarder, who told CBS News New York that he is a handyman, claimed that he took good care of the animals.
“I love them,” he told the station.
“They are my cats. I have taken care of them for years and I do everything I can. I spend a lot of money on it – $ 20 food every two days.”
The cats were brought to the city of Oyster Bay Animal Shelter on Wednesday, where they were medically evaluated.
“We know they need vaccines. We know that some of them have to be hydrated,” said Donnelly.
They are now proof in a potential case to McDermott, but will then be set for adoption, said Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino.
“People will be emotionally moved and want to take over these beautiful, defenseless creatures and take care of these beautiful, defenseless creatures.”
Debacker has already promised to get the floor on hiring the cats when they are eligible – but other cats can still be in the wild near the popular cycling and walking destination.
“There was a gray and white one that climbed on a tree that we could not save,” he explained, and encouraged the Massapequa and Farmingdale area to be on the lookout.
He has set up trail cameras around the wooded area with food and will continue to follow them to try to find other cats from the camp.
“It is hard to say now … Sometimes cats wander to never be seen again, but hopefully that is not the case here,” he said.
