- Pennsylvania, USA -
On the morning of Monday, September 21, Pennsylvania State Police at Selinsgrove were called to Ideal Self Storage on 80 Lori Lane in Monroe Township about nearly sixty cats and kittens stuffed in a 10-by-15-foot storage unit.
Investigators say 62-years-old JOHN MUCCIO put the furbabies there and left them without food or water for several hours.
According to The Daily Item, MUCCIO told Shamokin Dam police that he and 59-years-old CRYSTAL PIZZOLLA were waiting to close on a home in Pennsylvania and had rented a room at a pet friendly Shamokin Dam motel but the closing date fell through.
Reportedly, MUCCIO also said that he and PIZZOLLA had rented a U-Haul to bring with them all the cats they had rescued and had them in a storage unit at one point.
The nonprofit Animal Resource Center (ARC) in Bloomsburg was asked to assist with the rescue and care of all the felines.
According to a Facebook post of September 25, ARC wrote that MUCCIO and PIZZOLLA “reluctantly agreed to surrender 15 cats and kittens to our shelter as they were in need of immediate medical care.”
ARC said that with the help of Pennsylvania SPCA, on September 24, they removed the final thirty-five cats and kittens who now have “a clean, dry space with food and water”.
ARC then explained that many of the furbabies “are suffering from upper-respiratory infections or injuries and ALL of them have fleas, worms and are underweight. None are vetted. Over the next few weeks, the PSPCA will transport the majority of them to their facilities for vetting and eventual adoption.”
On September 29, ARC posted an update which read: “One week since our shelter capacity doubled with the arrival of 58 cats. 5 have since been transferred to the PSPCA, 9 are in foster and the remaining are here at our shelter, being cared for by our staff and volunteers.
While all of them need TLC, a few have needed immediate vetting for serious medical issues.”
ARC mentioned two cases in particular involving a kitten named Mango and an adult cat named Luther.
Mango is a 6-week-old male and is part of a litter of eight kittens.
“He was struggling to keep up with his litter mates and became severely dehydrated and lethargic”, said ARC.
“Luther, an adult tiger cat, had crystals and was urinating blood”, explained ARC.
After examining him, veterinarians “gave him antibiotics to clear the infection and pain medicine to relive his pain. He was also prescribed a special medicine to prevent future crystals.”
ARC is a small privately funded rescue that unexpectedly had to face an overwhelming intake of cats and kittens in need of desperate help.
If you wish, and can afford to make a donation, please visit ARC’s website to see how. Thank you!
As for the criminal aspect of this case, while many news outlets report that MUCCIO, of Mount Carmel, was cited with one count of cruelty to animals, according to Northcentral PA, police determined that there was probable cause to arrest MUCCIO.
Due to the number of animals involved, state police are requesting the maximum fine for this case.
Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from official news outlets. Links included.
Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.
Pictures shared from Animal Resource Center.