GERALD DAVID NEFF arrested on accusations of hoarding a large number of cats in deplorable conditions

- Indiana, USA -

The Orestes Police Department reports that following a several-month long investigation into possible animal hoarding and neglect, officers arrested 74-year-old GERALD DAVID NEFF (pictured).

The department began investigating NEFF in May of this year after a neighbor reported that a number of cats had come onto their property and pooped in their shed and garage. The neighbor said the cats were NEFF’s and stated that NEFF had cut holes out at the bottom of the fence to allow the cats “to come and go as they please.”

One month later, in June, officers received another complaint regarding NEFF’s cats. A different neighbor reported to the police that they suffered property damage as a result of NEFF’s cats breaking free.

During the course of the investigation, officers spoke with an employee at a local animal shelter and she told them that NEFF had contacted her last year regarding the cats. According to the employee, NEFF told her that he had too many cats, that he was having difficulty caring for them and needed help.

The employee told investigators that NEFF had sent her so many text messages asking for help to the extent that she had to block him.

The employee went on to say that she eventually agreed to help NEFF on the condition that he would surrender some of the cats to the shelter. The employee claimed that at some point NEFF became uncooperative. According to the employee, NEFF refused to bring any cats to the shelter to receive medical care or be spayed/neutered.

Investigators learned from the employee that at some point she had gone to NEFF’s home on E. Oak Street and encountered a “high level of ammonia” due to the urine being inside the property for some time. The employee also told investigators that she recalled seeing multiple cats being completely infested with fleas.

On June 28, 2026, the Orestes Police Department and the East Madison Fire Territory went to NEFF’s home and the Madison County Health Department was also called to the scene.

According to court documents, NEFF admitted to the police he was struggling to care for the cats and stated that he had stopped eating “because he had to spend all of his money on feeding his cats.” NEFF told officers he needed help with spaying/neutering the cats so they would not reproduce.

Court documents further stated that NEFF told the police that a multitude of cats “had to be put down” and that he “gets upset when he has to bury them in his yard.”

On July 16, 2026, the Madison County Circuit Court issued a felony warrant for NEFF’s arrest and he turned himself in the following day.

The Orestes Police Department said in its press release that a “substantial amount of probable cause” led to charges ultimately being filed against NEFF, despite the department’s efforts to address the issues in a “non-criminal manner.”

NEFF was charged with cruelty to an animal/keeping ten or more animals in poor conditions, cruelty to an animal/resulting in death, and cruelty to animals.

Oreste Police Chief Jacob Jones said: “The Orestes Police Department prioritizes the safety, health, and well-being of both people and animals. Residents of this Town have expressed their frustration with the damages that these cats that are under the care of Mr. Neff, as well as many feral cats throughout the Town, have caused to their property and health. Our Police Department refuses to sit back and allow the inaction of the controlling of animals that are owned or cared for by certain individuals negatively affect the law-abiding residents of this Town.”

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Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from the press release by the Orestes Police Department. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.

In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.

NEFF’s mugshot shared from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.

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