700 cats seized by Humane Society in Florida: the aftermath
On June 7 and 8 The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) seized some 700 cats from Pennie and Steven Lefkowitz, Alachua County, Florida residents who had established their own cat sanctuary. By the time the HSUS intervened, more than 70 , reported the National Examiner.
For a while, the media were relatively quiet about the matter. Perhaps this is because it isn't unusual for so many cats to be found in one cat sanctuary. Feline adoption centers, such as the 'Cat House on the Kings,' as were rescued in Florida.
Plus, instances of animal hoarding are increasingly common. The Examiner tells of an episode in 2007 in which Best Friends Animal Society from a sanctuary in Pahrump, Nevada. And The Animal Hoarding Project says that
But it's also important to note Pennie Lefkowitz took issue with the unmitigated opinion that she and her husband are hoarders, and .
So why did interest in the case suddenly rise this week, months after the original seizure?
Maybe it's because the fate of the couple was finally decided. Initially . Some thought the two should be given 鈥渕andatory mental health evaluations and therapy.鈥� Others opted for jail time. On the night of Aug. 15, things were settled: the Lefkowitzes were arrested and are now out on a bond. They face , writes the International Business Times, 鈥�46 for cats and one for a rooster.鈥�
In the beginning, the Lefkowitzes sought only to take unwanted cats from neighboring owners through a drop-off system, and many believe their intentions were noble. But as Ashley Mauceri, deputy manager of Animal Cruelty Investigations for The HSUS said, it and we want to make sure they get the care and attention they need."
From Aug. 26 to Aug. 28 the HSUS will for some 550 of the surviving cats in Alachua County.
