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Man arrested in grisly Philly cat hoarding case

The resident of a boarding house where humane officials on Friday found 38 cats - most of them dead and a dozen barely alive - showed up at the Pennsylvania SPCA today but it wasn't to turn himself in.

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Man arrested in grisly Philly cat hoarding case

POSTED: Monday, April 25, 2011, 3:56 PM

Amy Worden, Inquirer Staff Writer

PSPCA officers at house were cats were found. Photo: Phillip Lucas

The resident of a boarding house where police on Friday found 38 cats - most of them dead and stuffed in a freezer, another dozen barely alive - showed up at the Pennsylvania SPCA today. But it wasn't to turn himself in.

My Inquirer colleague Peter Mucha reports:

A North Philadelphia man has been arrested on animal cruelty charges relating to a room filled with cats - living and dead.

The cats were discovered by investigators on Friday, and on Sunday, after seeing a news report, Jun Takase showed up at Pennsylvania SPCA headquarters at 350 E. Erie Ave. But he wasn't turning himself in. He asked to get his cats back, spokeswoman Wendy Marano said.

Instead, Takase, 44, was taken into custody.

On Friday, acting on a tip from landlord, Pennsylvania SPCA officers went to a boarding house in the 1500 block of 12th Street and discovered a dozen poorly treated but living felines and the bodies of 26 cats and kittens, some in a refrigerator's freezer compartment, others scattered around the single rented room.

"This is definitely one of the more bizarre cases we've seen," said George Bengal, director of Humane Law Enforcement for the PSPCA.

The surviving cats evaluated to see if they are suitable for adoption.

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Comments (2)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:28 PM, 04/25/2011

sick...dude's got some cajones to go and ask for them back. they oughtta lock him up with a pet cat - a nice tiger or lion!

— uncle meat

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:40 PM, 04/25/2011

The "pet cat" comment above just goes to show how ignorant most people are with animal hoarding. Obviously, the guy has some serious mental issues. I highly doubt he's knows what he's doing is wrong. Most hoarders feel for their animals but just don't have the mental capacity or the financial means to take care of them. Before long, the population grows way out of hand and they're way over their heads. I'm willing to bet that's the case here.

— phillychaos

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About this blog

Amy Worden is a politics and government reporter for the Inquirer. In that capacity she has explored a range of animal issues from dog kennel law improvements and horse slaughter to the comeback of peregrine falcons and pigeon hunts. From hamsters to horses, animals have always been part of her life. To pass along a tip or contact Amy, click here. Reach Amy at aworden@phillynews.com.