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MINERSVILLE, Beaver County — Six dozen animals were recently removed from a small home in Beaver County after emergency responders reported finding an elderly woman living in filthy conditions.
On May 24, a Beaver County sheriff's deputy, along with medical personnel, was dispatched to a home in Minersville for a medical issue, according to a recently unsealed search warrant affidavit. When the deputy arrived at the scene, a fire department member asked if she had Vicks mentholated ointment.
"I asked for what? He then said, 'To mask the smell of the home,'" the deputy wrote in the affidavit. "When I entered the home I was overwhelmed with the smell of ammonia. The smell was so strong I couldn't catch my breath and my eyes began to water."
The deputy also reported seeing multiple cats, some with "obvious health issues," walking throughout the house.
"At first glance of the room we entered into, I could see cat feces and urine all over the floor, empty boxes everywhere and cat hair covering the entirety of the room," according to the warrant.
In the bedroom where the 74-year-old homeowner was found, dog feces was on the floor, according to deputies.
The woman was taken to a local hospital. A search warrant was then drafted to collect the animals in the home. The deputy noted in the affidavit, "Of all my time on patrol, this home is by far in the worst condition I have seen. I am concerned for the health of (the) patient and animals."
A total of 71 cats and one dog were removed from the home. According to the Beaver County Sheriff's Office, representatives with Best Friends Animal Sanctuary assisted law enforcers and the cats were released into their care.
