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By Catherine Ferris
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Nearly 60 cats were found in a storage unit in Snyder County, Pennsylvania, and John Muccio was cited for cruelty to animals.
The Daily Item, a local newspaper, reported that Muccio told Shamokin Dam police officers that he was waiting to close on a house in Pennsylvania with Crystal Pizzolla. Shamokin Dam Police Chief Timothy Bremigen told The Daily Item that the two rented a room at a pet-friendly motel nearby, but the closing date fell through.
The two transported the cats and kittens using a rented U-Haul and placed them in a 10-by-15 foot storage unit without food or water for several hours, according to WNEP.
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Some cats were taken to a nearby animal rescue facility, but 19 cats remained in the couple's care by the time state police became involved earlier this week.
"The cats were in individual carriers and dog cages," a corporal with the Pennsylvania state police told The Daily Item. "They were riddled with fleas and a couple of them were thin and scruffy looking."
The corporal cited Muccio with one count of cruelty to animals, and she told The Daily Item that she wasn't able to confirm that the couple was buying a house.
Lauren Lesher, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Police Department, told Newsweek that the officer was responding to a separate call on the property, but helped relocate the additional cats that were left behind.
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According to a Facebook post published to the Animal Resource Center's page, the shelter received a request to take in the cats.
"While we weren't able to take in all 60 and can't speak further on the situation at this time, we were able to remove 15 cats and kittens," the post read. "ALL of them are emaciated, infested with parasites and fleas and suffering from upper respiratory infections."
The post stated that one cat will need to have her eye removed due to a severe infection and none of the cats have seen a vet. Since settling into the care of the shelter, the cats and kittens have been bathed, dewormed and received medicine.
Over the course of the week, Animal Resource Center created space for the remaining cats and kittens. A follow-up Facebook post stated that although space was tight, they all have a clean and dry space with food and water.
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"Many of them are suffering from upper-respiratory infections or injuries and ALL of them have fleas, worms and are underweight," the post read.
The Pennsylvania SPCA is working to transport the cats and kittens to facilities for treatment and future adoption. Some kittens have been taken into a foster home.
Kate Magni, the cat coordinator for the Animal Resource Center, told Newsweek that because the kittens are too young for vaccines, they are kept isolated from the other cats. She said she believes the cats and kittens may have been mistreated even before they were found in the storage unit.
However, despite the many medical needs of the cats and kittens, Magni said the cats are the "sweetest."
Newsweek has reached out to the Shamokin Dam Police Department for further comment but did not hear back by press time.
Updated 10/08/2021, 5:24 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from Pennsylvania State Police Department spokesperson Lauren Lesher.
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