A Florida woman has been charged after 309 animals, including 164 ducks, chickens, geese, cats and dogs, were seized from her filthy property and mobile home.
Lisa Lacharite, 48, was arrested Friday and charged with five felony counts of animal neglect, 304 counts of animal neglect and one count of elder neglect. She is currently being held at the Polk County Jail without incident.
On Thursday, Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies conducted a welfare check after someone called about a possible “hoarding situation” involving cats at the home on Fazzini Drive in Frostbite, a city near Central Florida.
Lacharite's 75-year-old mother also lived in the house.
Upon arrival, officers noticed a strong odor of ammonia outside the home. Lisa told police that she was her mother's caregiver and that her mother had health problems.
When officers entered the grindstone, they made the gruesome discovery of more than 300 animals in deplorable and unsanitary conditions. Many walked around freely and climbed on the furniture. Many appeared sickly and malnourished.
Many cats were lying on the kitchen counter, many looking sickly and malnourished
At least fifty cats appeared to be running loose in the kitchen, living room and utility room
The filthy house smelled of ammonia. Several animals were found on top of the refrigerator
At a news conference Friday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd held up a photo of Lisa Lacharite, who he said is a second-grade teacher at Ben Hill Griffin Elementary School.
The sheriff said Lisa described herself as someone who “rescues animals,” but once inside, the conditions in their home showed a different story, one of abuse and neglect.
There were hundreds of cats, geese, ducks, birds and dogs running around their mobile home.
Lisa Lacharite, 48, was arrested and charged with five felony counts of animal neglect and 304 counts of animal neglect
Sheriff Judd 309 animals were seized by authorities and repeated the number. 'Did you hear what I said? You can't make this up. You know it's true.'
He said conditions were so bad that deputies and the SPCA helping with the investigation had to wear breathing masks because of the dangerous conditions.
“Lisa is not a bad person. She is an overwhelmed cat lady,” the sheriff said during the news conference. “She clearly broke the law and she continued to break the law.”
He added: 'We found cats that had been neglected, cats that were seriously ill.'
“She has been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery and elder neglect for being the caregiver for her 75-year-old mother.”
Lacharite admitted that she knew the conditions in the home were not good for her and her mother or the animals.
She told authorities she was overwhelmed by the amount of animals she has and it was becoming too much for her to handle.
She surrendered all the animals except her three dogs and her mother's three cats.
The investigation found that Lisa failed to comply with legal obligations to care and support her animals.
According to the investigation, 304 of her animals that were confined in the home, and smaller rooms in the home, did not have proper ventilation.
The ammonia level in the home was described as fatal to humans and animals over a period of time.
These environmental factors caused at least five of her cats to experience repeated eye and nasal discharge and significant respiratory problems in the form of coughing and wheezing.
Officers reported that Lisa's mother, who was not named, had glassy eyes and could not move easily. She was removed from the home.
It was reported that at least five of her cats suffered from eye and nasal discharge and significant respiratory problems in the form of coughing and wheezing
Officers and animal control specialists found approximately ten litter boxes along the hallway of the home, all filled with urine and feces.
During the investigation, officers found the following animals climbing on furniture, sitting on kitchen counters, and in kitchen cabinets filled with urine and feces.
Dried feces were also found on the floors and walls.
Several chickens, ducks, geese and a peacock in wire cages stacked two and three rows high on the home's porch.
Dirty water was found in containers in the cages, and in all cages there were large amounts of feces on the bottom of the wire cages.
It seemed to many that the cages had not been cleaned for a long time.
The stench in the house was so foul that police and zookeepers had to wear gas masks
Animal rights groups are now working to rehome the hundreds of creatures removed from the home
The air quality was poor and the strong ammonia smell caused a burning sensation and irritation to the eyes, nose and throat.
Three of the cats in kennels were nursing kittens.
There were about 50 cats in the back room of the house, in the middle bedroom, and dogs and more chickens and ducks in cages and boxes.
Polk County Fire Rescue responded with an ammonia reader and collected air samples from the home.
The samples show that between 70 and 100 parts per million ammonia is present. PCFR staff advised that anything above 50 parts per million was hazardous to health.
All animals were removed from the home and transported to Animal Control. T
The animals are assessed by veterinarians. Polk County Animal Control will work with the general public, the SPCA and animal rescue organizations to find forever homes for animals.
Polk County Animal Control asked the public interested in adopting the animals to contact them at AnimalControl@polksheriff.org.
The Polk County Sheriff's Officer, members of Polk County Animal Control, the Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit, were involved in the investigation.
In addition, the Agricultural Crimes Patrol, Crime Scene and South East District.