Investigators said there were cats that were living in crates in a dark house with no electricity. Some of cats had never seen a litter box, and their eyes are barely adjusted to normal light.
Emily Phillips, 12, discovered the cats while walking around the block.
"I thought it was really mean," she said.
"She went in that house and discovered the cats were in there. She came home crying," her sister, Ashlee Phillips, said.
Animal Control said it found dogs in cages at a home in Boiling Springs, and more cats in a barn.
"They were dying," Ashlee Phillips said. "They were suffering."
The roof of the house was also caving in. Animal Control showed Eyewitness News pictures from inside the home, where the floor was gone.
They said the condition in the crates was worse.
"The pet carriers they were living in were full of feces, full of urine," Animal Control Supervisor Trip Bowling said.
He said the water bowls had mosquito larva in the dark-colored water.
He said their owner, Carolyn Kirby, used to live there but moved out. She continued to take in strays and bring them to the abandoned house, he said.
"This woman loves animals," Bowling said. "Obviously she loves them and does care about animals." - but she has no problem inflicting suffering and death on them by 'collecting' them when she clearly cannot. They need to insist that the prosecutor's office demand mental health counseling for Kirby. The recidivism rate for hoarders/collectors like Kirby is 100% without mental health intervention.
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| Carolyn White Kirby, 62 Charged with Cruelty to Animals |
He said she just couldn't help all of them and that they couldn't let the relationship continue.
"We had to intervene," Bowling said. "Something had to be done."
Officials charged Kirby with 55 counts of animal abuse.
They seized 49 pets, including cats, dogs and rabbits.
The Humane Society took six animals.
Some of the dogs will be up for adoption soon, but the cats still need to be examined.
Eyewitness News tried to reach Kirby on Thursday, but had the same problem as Animal Control. There are no working phone numbers for her since she moved to Rutherford County.
(WCTI12.com - August 3, 2012)