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+100 cats, many dead, found in alleged hoarder's home
When first responders went to the home for a welfare check, they said the smell hit them from 150 feet away. Inside, firefighters were gagging and becoming dizzy, forcing them to put on respirators before entering the home.
(FOX 2) - Animal rescuers uncovered a hoarding house of horrors in Lapeer County, where a Metro Detroit nurse allegedly lived with 125 living cats and dozens of dead ones.
Big picture view:
When first responders went to the home for a welfare check, they said the smell hit them from 150 feet away. Inside, firefighters were gagging and becoming dizzy, forcing them to put on respirators before entering the home.
Once inside, they found a disaster: about 120 living cats and roughly 80 deceased cats. The dead cats were literally stacked throughout the woman's kitchen. According to police, the homeowner, Emily Karolski, was living with them.
The discovery happened back in May in Dryden Township, in Lapeer County. It took days for animal control officers to rescue the surviving cats.
Dig deeper:
Now, Emily Karolski is very well known in Michigan's cat rescue community, and she is charged with two felonies.
She's also a nurse practitioner who cares for newborns.
"We really didn't have any basis to petition that individual for placement into mental health treatment immediately. She was conscientious of the situation and acknowledged the situation, as dire as it was. Beyond that, we don't have anything to speculate on further. There was really no basis for a mental health petition to be filed," said Lapeer County Prosecutor John Miller.
What's next:
Sadly, almost all the cats have some kind of respiratory issue. Many were sent to rescues around the state, and Lapeer County Animal Control still has some they are treating. They are not available for adoption at this point.
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