Ohio: Dan Slyby had 55 dead cats inside his house, along with 100+ still alive and suffering

OHIO -- A man who hoarded 166 cats in his Gahanna home, 55 of them dead, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 11 criminal charges filed by Columbus Humane regarding animal cruelty.

Daniel Slyby, 60, faces 11 counts of prohibitions concerning companion animals, all second-degree misdemeanors, according to Franklin County Municipal Court records.

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Feb. 13.

All but one of the 111 living cats rescued from Slyby’s home in the 3600 block of Olde Ridenour Road on Dec. 13 are still on the mend at Columbus Humane on the Northwest Side, shelter spokeswoman Kerry Shaw said.

They were found in “deplorable condition,” Shaw said last week.

“We believe it was a concerned neighbor that called about the smell from having cats,” said Shelia Murphy with the Gahanna Police.

Frances did not call the police on her neighbor but she said the smell was overbearing. She told us she would see the homeowner trying to disguise the odor too.

“In the evenings, my son would come over and I would say, ‘David, do you smell that odor coming from there?’ But he (homeowner) gets out there and hose that stuff up, works himself to death,” said Frances.

One cat removed from the home later had to be euthanized because of health issues, she said.

Slyby must post a $64,200 cash bond by Dec. 30 or the surviving animals will be permanently forfeited to Columbus Humane. The bond amount is the shelter’s estimated costs of caring for the animals for the next 30 days.

If he posts the bond and is found not guilty, it’s possible he could keep a handful of the cats. Gahanna law prohibits residents from having more than five animals at a residence.

Ultimately, Columbus Humane’s goal is to get the cats healthy enough for adoption, though it’s “way too early” to say when that will be, Shaw said.

For now, the group is being isolated from the rest of the shelter’s animals to reduce the risk of spreading contagious diseases.

They’re being treated for a variety of illnesses, including respiratory and fungal infections, but blood tests haven’t indicated anything “out of the ordinary,” she said.

“All things considered, they seem to be adjusting well,” Shaw said.

The shelter is in need of donations as it is caring for about 170 total cats — the 110 rescued cats and the 60 or so already on its adoption floor as of Wednesday night. The most in-demand items are standard-sized towels, fleece throw blankets and canned and dry cat food, Shaw said.

Anyone who wants to make a financial donation can do so at columbushumane.org.

Slyby’s attorney, Tony Clymer, said Thursday that Slyby denies having mistreated his cats.

(Columbus Dispatch - Dec 21, 2017)