More than 130 cats were found in a U-Haul either malnourished, emaciated or dead in a fast food parking lot in Santa Nella in what appears to be an extreme case of animal hoarding and cruelty.
Merced County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Alexandra Britton said June 29 at 5:30 p.m., deputies were called to the Taco Bell parking lot along Highway 33 in Santa Nella for a report of cats in distress inside a van.
After arriving on the scene, deputies found 134 cats packed in a U-Haul, 28 of them dead and 106 others were in various states of malnourishment or emaciation, according to law enforcement.
Nearly 20 cats could be seen through the windshield of the U-Haul, law enforcement said.
Animal Control Officer Kalen Rafferty was one of the officials who reported to the scene. Rafferty described what he saw to a local Fresno TV station, commenting that it is “one of the worst cases of animal hoarding I’ve ever seen.” He added that the smell of cat urine and feces was “overpowering.”
Deputies arrested Jeannie Maxon, 69, of Long Beach on suspicion of 93 counts of animal cruelty.
Britton said Maxon was booked into Merced County Jail but has subsequently been released on bond.
