Dozens of ailing animals found in New York home where elderly woman was 'trapped' by debris

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NORTHPORT, N.Y. (AP) — More than 200 animals were found at the home of a wildlife rehabilitator in New York where authorities also discovered a 95-year-old woman who they say was essentially trapped in her room due to clutter in the residence.

Cats, dogs, parrots, roosters, hedgehogs, chinchillas, guinea pigs, voles and flying squirrels were among the 206 animals found Oct. 1 at the Northport home. The residence was infested with insects and cluttered with debris, garbage and household waste, making certain areas impassable, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said, describing it as a “hoarding situation.”

The animals were living in cages amid very unsanitary and overcrowded conditions, and many had unsanitary food and water sources, authorities said. Many were diagnosed with serious medical issues and are now under veterinary care.

The 57-year-old rehabilitator and a 61-year-old man who also lived at the home are charged with animal cruelty, while the rehabilitator also faces a count of endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person. The 95-year-old woman was removed from the home, prosecutors said, but further information about her condition was not disclosed.

“The level of neglect was unconscionable as the animals were in poor condition and living in squalor,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said.