Authorities arrested a man in Oakdale, California, on felony animal cruelty charges after discovering the bodies of nine dead cats inside his residence on Wednesday.
Oakdale police and Animal Control Officers responded to the home on the 100 block of 6th Avenue after receiving reports of deceased animals. Upon entering the residence with the tenant's consent, officers observed the dead cats. Investigators believe the animals had been deceased for approximately one to two weeks, according to a press release from the Oakdale Police Department.
The suspect was taken to the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center for booking. The investigation is ongoing.
Stanislaus County has historically contended with a significant population of stray cats and issues of animal abandonment. Local organizations, including the Cat Network of Stanislaus and the Stanislaus Animal Services Agency, utilize Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs to help manage and curb population growth. TNR involves humanely trapping cats, sterilizing and vaccinating them, and then returning them to their outdoor environments.