Louisiana woman charged after 17 cats found dead in extreme heat at business
A Louisiana woman faces dozens of animal cruelty charges after 17 cats died from extreme heat without food or water at a local business, while 20 others were rescued in severe distress.
A 29-year-old Louisiana woman, Madison Rebecca Colello, is facing dozens of animal cruelty charges following a disturbing discovery at a business in Walker. She turned herself in on Thursday morning at the Livingston parish detention center.
Colello faces 17 felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty tied to the deaths of the cats, along with 37 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.
Discovery in dangerous heat
The charges stem from a Walker police department response on 12 September, after officers were called to investigate a report of suspected animal cruelty. Arriving at around 12.30pm, officers found an open door at a business called Waffles Way Home and went inside to conduct a welfare check, encountering temperatures nearing 100F (37.8C).
According to police, dozens of cats and kittens were confined inside without access to food or water. Seventeen animals were found dead, while the remaining 20 were rescued in severe distress.
Walker police chief David Addison said the fate suffered by the cats and kittens was heartbreaking, and that the sheer number of animals affected underscored the severity of the case. He said the department intends to make clear that this kind of abuse will not be tolerated in Walker.
Authorities noted that the space itself was hygienically clean, but the extreme heat combined with a lack of veterinary care had caused serious, inhumane harm to the animals.
Emergency response for survivors
Police brought in emergency assistance for the surviving cats, with support from Walker's animal control agency, the animal shelter in nearby Denham Springs, and volunteers from the nonprofit Rescue, Rehome & Repeat.
Jeff Dorson, director of the Humane Society of Louisiana, said the Rescue Alliance of Gonzales took in 12 sick cats that Colello had allegedly kept in her garage. All 12 were found to be suffering from upper respiratory infections and possible ringworm.
