Tonya Parrish, 66, has been charged after 88 cats and a dog were removed from her Milford home, according to a complaint filed in Clermont County Municipal Court.
Parrish faces a charge of prohibitions concerning companion animals under Ohio Revised Code Section 959.131, WLWT reported Tuesday, Nov. 10.
Court records state that no clean food or water was available for the animals. Most of them had "obvious health issues," ranging from respiratory infections to severe eye infections, according to the documents.
The complaint also alleges feces and urine were present "everywhere," with no area of relief for the animals.
Conditions inside the home were dangerous for people, too. Officials say the fire department was called to the property to ventilate the structure because ammonia levels were extremely high. Firefighters needed respirators while inside the house, officials said.
The charge falls under Ohio's companion-animal statute, which prohibits custodians from depriving animals of necessary sustenance or confining them without sufficient food and water. WLWT’s report did not identify the subsection charged, and the subsection determines whether the offense is classified as a misdemeanor or felony.
The case is another recently reported animal-neglect case in Clermont County in recent weeks. John Westendorf, 67, of Felicity was charged with 24 counts of cruelty to companion animals after deputies said they removed more than a dozen cats from his home on Oct. 5, WLWT reported. Court records in that case described cats locked in cages full of waste with no food or water, and deputies said they found at least one dead cat.
Residents who suspect animal neglect can contact the Clermont County Animal Shelter or local law enforcement.
