Columbia women face 225 counts of animal cruelty for hoarding dead, diseased cats

“When we opened the door to the basement, our eyes immediately slammed shut and started to burn along with our chests and throats from the overwhelming stench of urine,” stated the charging documents, completed by Animal Control Officer S. Carlson, of the stench from the nearly 8 inches of animal waste caked to the floors.

Charging documents, filed last week, described a lurid scene at Ayten Icgoren and Nese Enetulla Icgoren’s Swan Point residence in mid-August:

» Animal control officers removed 58 sick cats, with ailments including bloody paws, blindness and difficulty breathing.

» Of the living cats, 50 were euthanized, and five more have since died.

» Officers removed 17 carcasses, some lumped in boxes, but an additional “50-60 dead cats were left inside the residence because the bodies were so badly decomposed they were stuck to the floors, boxes and bags,” according to the charging documents.

The Howard County Police Department consulted with the state’s attorney to determine appropriate charges, Howard County Police Department spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said.

Three misdemeanor animal cruelty charges were made for each of the 75 cats removed from the premises. For 150 of the counts, the women can face up to a $1,000 fine and up to 90 days in jail for each count. Each of the remaining 75 counts can carry up to a $1,000 fine.

The women also could be ordered to undergo psychological counseling.

The Icgorens are probably animal hoarders, a condition linked to psychological disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder and schizophrenia, said Kim Intino, director of animal sheltering issues for the Humane Society of the United States.

“While this is a sad situation for everyone involved, charges simply seemed to be the most appropriate thing in this case due to the severity of the situation,” Llewellyn said.

“The conditions inside of this residence were really horrific for the cats,” she said.

Ayten Icgoren also was charged with animal cruelty in 2004 and fined $150.