OLIVE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Twenty-seven cats were rescued after they were allegedly hoarded by a Holland Township woman in Olive Township.
On May 19, deputies with the Ottawa County Animal Control went to a storage shed on Port Sheldon Road near 104th Avenue after receiving numerous tips about cats being housed in a shed in the area.
When they arrived, the deputies found a structure that was about 8 feet by 5 feet. Inside the shed, there were 27 cats, some of which were pregnant. The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office said some of the cats were injured or in poor health and they were all in “unsanitary living conditions.”
The cats were removed from the shed and have since been treated by a veterinarian.
The investigation continued, and on Friday, sheriff’s deputies went to two homes: one on Essenburg Drive near Rose Park Drive in Holland Township and another on 104th Avenue near Van Buren Street in Olive Township. After searching the properties, no endangered animals were found.
Sheriff’s deputies said they identified the cats’ owner as a 68-year-old Holland Township woman. Her name has not been released.
The case remains under investigation.
Once it is complete, the investigation will be turned over to the prosecuting attorney’s office for potential criminal charges related to animal cruelty, the sheriff’s office said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office at 616.738.4000 or Silent Observer at 877.887.4536.