Hoarded cats from Lauderdale storage unit up for adoption

FLORIDA -- As many as 88 cats need new homes to live out the rest of their days after they were rescued from a hoarding situation in Fort Lauderdale.

According to Fort Lauderdale Police, officers and animal control investigators discovered the felines stuffed in cages, stacked on top of each other inside a storage unit located on the 1300 block of Northwest 65th Place, June 29.

Authorities said the animals were housed in cages without sufficient space or adequate quantity of food and water. They said the cats appeared malnourished and in need of veterinary care.

Leon Harris, who rents a facility nearby, was horrified by the deplorable conditions in which the cats were found. "It's horrible, and the people could barely take care of themselves, and they're trying to take care of animals?" he said.

In addition, investigators said, the unit was infested with bugs and had no air conditioning.

"You know, for those animals, the cats to be living in a situation that they were found, it's just horrific," said Humane Society of Broward County spokesperson Cherie Wachter. "No animal should have to live like that."

One woman, identified as 54-year-old Ruma Navarro, was charged with animal cruelty. She was issued a notice to appear in court for violation of two city ordinances.

Broward County Animal Control took possession of the cats and took them to a recovery area to be spayed and neutered.

It's not clear how long the cats had been kept in the unit or why they had been stored there in the first place.

Friday afternoon, caretakers inside the Broward County Mobile Command Unit in Pompano Beach prepared the cats to be put up for adoption. They are being vaccinated, microchipped and will receive a Broward County rabies registration tag.

At least 31 cats will be up for adoption this weekend from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Broward County Disaster Recovery Center, also in Pompano Beach. Officials have waived adoption fees for the cats.

"We are asking the public, number one, to adopt, rescue or foster as the cats need," said Broward Animal Care and Adoption spokesperson Lisa Mendheim. "It has been a labor of love for our part and the Humane Society's part, so donations are always welcome, cat food, cat litter, blankets, towels. Anything that you can do to help is always welcome."

"Hopefully, there are going to be a lot of caring, loving families who are going to come to the adoption event and adopt them and take them home and love them and give them the love that they deserve," Mendheim continued.

(WSVN - July 17, 2015)