SPCA removes 31 cats from a home for neglect, one of hundreds of investigations.

Dozens of distressed, sick and starving kittens and cats were found in a San Ardo home in September. Some of the felines had no water or food and were living in unhealthy, crowded conditions with accumulated feces and urine. Several animals were roaming in the house while others were locked up in cages in two other rooms. At least 25 of them were cramped in a 10-by-10-foot room.

Sheriff’s deputies and officers with SPCA Monterey County showed up after Rhonda Somerton, an animal rights advocate, called 911 at least twice, after hearing about the conditions described above. Somerton says a notice left at the property said 31 cats and two dogs were removed from the premises. Most of the cats are Scottish Fold breed, and Somerton suspects it was a kitten mill.

The owner of the animals was in the hospital when the discovery of conditions in her home occurred.

Beth Brookhouser, SPCA’s vice president of marketing and communications, says the nonprofit received nearly 700 calls last year reporting cruelty and neglect, and investigated all of them. Brookhouser says in many cases people are “neglectful inadvertently,” including people who move to rural areas with an interest in larger pets, but don’t know how to take care of them.

“They don’t realize that horses need to have their feet trimmed or need to have dental work,” she says.

Animals are removed from a home only in cases where there is evidence of cruelty or intentional neglect.

The SPCA referred the case, naming Debra Kallmeyer, to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office. No charges have yet been filed, pending review by the District Attorney.

There are 13 cases referred by the SPCA that are currently active at the District Attorney’s Office.

In a separate case, Trisha Tennyson of Salinas was also in the hospital when Animal Services officials seized 22 cats from her van. She returned home from the hospital to learn her animals had been seized, she claims illegally and without proper noticing. 

She claims she wasn’t abusing the animals and most of the cats were with her just temporarily and would have soon been put up for adoption. One is a pet who has been with her for over 18 years. “They can go into your yard and take your pets,” Tennyson says. “This isn’t right. This will kill me.”

She is petitioning to get her cats back, including the 18-year-old, which is currently at nonprofit animal rescue organization Animal Friends Rescue Project. 

On Dec. 3, Tennyson filed a lawsuit in Monterey County Superior Court against Animal Services and AFRP. 

Darla Smith, executive director of AFRP, is also on the county Animal Control Program Advisory Board, which Tennyson believes is a conflict, given that the city/county’s join Animal Control team seized her animals. Smith declined to comment due to the pending litigation.

There is no criminal investigation pending at the DA’s Office in Tennyson’s case.