Howard County Police are considering criminal or civil charges after finding two dead cats in a freezer, along with 28 live cats and a guinea pig, in an Elkridge home Wednesday.

Officers responded to the home, in the 8000 block of Keeton Road, after being asked by a neighbor to check up on the residents living there. They had not been seen for several days and there was an odor coming from the house, the neighbor told police.

Police found 17 adult cats, 11 kittens and a guinea pig, as well as the two dead cats in the home. An elderly woman, who was living in the home but was not the animals’ owner, was transported to Howard County General Hospital for evaluation.

The animals were taken to a veterinarian for evaluation and 10 of the cats were kept for further observation. The owner of the animals was not at home when police arrived, but later agreed to turn most of the cats and the guinea pig over to Howard County Animal Control.

Animal Control could return a small number of cats back to the home, but the rest will likely be put up for adoption, police said. The owner’s name was not released because no charges have been filed, police said.

-- Derek Simmonsen

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user comments (4)

user beatendowntaxpayer says...

Let me see if I get this straight. Kill your child by neglecting her in a car, and it may be an accident. But have two dead cats in your freezer, then you are a criminal. I see that Howard County really has it's priorities right.

Posted 8:24 PM, 07.02.09 | Permalink

user milton says...

Furthermore, it has taken the HCPD more than 5 months and counting to investigate the shooting of the dog in Elkridge by their own tactical team. But this investigation and the one involving the death of a child in an unattended car are wrapped up in a few days. It is almost as if the Howard County Police think they are above the laws they enforce on the rest of us.

Posted 10:43 AM, 07.03.09 | Permalink

user independent says...

We have a county of men and not laws, so Milton is correct. When law is meted out subjectively depending on the person involved, Democracy is subverted and justice becomes impossible.

Posted 11:37 AM, 07.03.09 | Permalink

user oldmoldynut says...

We need somebody to monitor the Howard County Police, I usually see 6-8 of them in the morning at the Farm Store, I Guess because there is no Donut shops in the area. They all have a chip on there shoulder, Its no wonder everybody has a bad perception of them. I know a few of them and they are really decent. But I think they should go work in Baltimore City for a few weeks and see if there perdonalities change any or will they still be the same Cocky #@^& that they are now.Most of them need a reality check.

Posted 7:35 PM, 07.03.09 | Permalink