AMES, Iowa (WHO) — An Ames woman is facing charges after allegedly leaving over 20 cats and kittens in a feces-filled apartment for days, leading to a 5-month-old kitten to be euthanized from contracting a fatal illness.
On Dec. 13, Ames police officers executed a search warrant at 42-year-old Jennifer Elaine Thompson’s apartment after an animal control officer received a tip stating Thompson had left cats in terrible conditions for several days, court documents state.
Officers executing the search warrant described the apartment as being covered in “excessive animal waste” and had an “overpowering odor of ammonia and feces,” a court document states. Officers found a total of 27 cats and kittens inside and discovered they had only one litter box to share and the available food and water was placed in/around animal waste.
A 15-week-old kitten, named Keva, contracted an infection that led to a corneal ulcer in one eye. The ulcer eventually ruptured and required the eye to be surgically removed, a criminal complaint states. Jubilee, another 15-week-old kitten contracted the infection, causing corneal ulcers in both eyes with one eventually rupturing. Jubilee’s left eye had to be surgically removed. Garrison, a 5-month-old male cat, contracted a serious respiratory illness and was admitted to Iowa State University Veterinary Medicine. Garrison was diagnosed with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a fatal illness, and was euthanized.
According to a criminal complaint, Thompson has a history of turning over sick cats to local animal shelters. A petition requesting custody of the cats due to the alleged neglect was filed by the city of Ames on December 20. A veterinarian who oversaw the care of the cats once removed from the apartment said in the petition that this was “one of the worst situations [she has] seen for animal conditions and neglect of basic needs in 47 years of veterinary practice and animal welfare.” About a week later the city of Ames was granted custody and the cats and kittens were turned over to the Ames Animal Shelter for treatment.
Thompson has been charged with two counts of animal neglect with serious injury or death and one count of animal neglect with injury. She is currently being held at the Story County Jail on a $6,000 cash-only bond. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for February 9th.