A ghastly scene emerged in a Hermitage home where a squad of officers from the Metro Police discovered more than 30 cats and dogs living in repulsive conditions, after being summoned by Adult Protective Services for a welfare check on Monday according to NewsChannel 5. The residence, situated on Port Jamaica Court, was cloaked in the stench of animals and littered with feces, revealing a severe hoarding situation that had been hidden from public view.
The inhabitants of the beleaguered residence handed over 17 dogs and 18 cats in total to Metro Nashville Care and Control (MACC), and were charged with an environmental citation for hoarding while trash, feces, and dirt carpeted the very floors where the unfortunate animals existed, slept, and scavenged for sustenance; next door neighbors disclosed, somewhat bafflingly, to News 2, that they had only ever glimpsed the pet owner with a dog on a scant number of occasions, noting the absence of any discernible noise from within the house's confines.
MACC's spokesperson, Matthew Peters, conveyed relief in an interview with WSMV, stating that none of the animals had to be euthanized so far, which is an all too common outcome with many hoarding cases. Peters detailed the heart-wrenching circumstances within the home: "When we got there, we could tell it was just not the conditions we really want any of these animals living in; Let alone this sheer number of them."
The animals are currently housed at the shelter where they're being evaluated, and the hope is that they will rebound from the neglect they've suffered, a sentiment echoed by officials and neighbors alarmed by the discovery, though neighbors had been none the wiser to the tragedy unfolding just next door, until the police and animal control vehicles converged upon their quiet street.
