A 75-year-old man from Long Island has been charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty following a discovery at his Bohemia home. The elderly resident, Stephen Glantz, was found to be living among nearly 100 cats, both dead and alive, in conditions described by officials as horrific. According to The Post, Glantz is facing nine counts of animal cruelty and nine counts of failure to provide properly sustenance after Suffolk County's Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals officers made the discovery last Saturday.
Evidence of the situation became apparent when SPCA members reportedly found more than 60 living cats in need of urgent veterinary care. The officers were compelled to quickly remove and euthanize three of them due to their severe sickness, as stated by the NBC New York report. Glantz's arrest followed an inspection of his home after reports of a strong ammonia smell, leading officials to also find two dozen deceased cats in a freezer.
Chief Roy Gross of the SPCA told The Post, "Floors covered in feces, soaked in urine, the floors were actually spongy. The smell from urine was very overwhelming to say the least." Gross also revealed that one investigator had to leave the premises vomiting due to the intense odor. The SPCA had initiated their investigation into the property, where Glantz had resided for over three decades with his late wife, after receiving tip-offs concerning potential animal neglect.
Neighbors spoke of always knowing cats were present in Glantz's home but were unaware of the extent of the issue. "We knew there were tons because you could see them in the window all the time, and every day there would be a delivery from Chewy for food or supplies," Brian Bang explained to NBC New York. The overwhelming conditions in the house rendered it condemned, and the surviving cats have been taken to the Islip Animal Shelter to receive continued care.
Glantz, whose wife passed away a few weeks prior to the discovery, is now potentially facing up to a year in jail and/or a fine for each misdemeanor count if convicted. However, it remains unlikely he will receive a maximum sentence for all charges. If the conviction is upheld, he may also be placed on a registry prohibiting him from owning pets for five years. On the Sunday prior to his arrest, Glantz declined to comment when approached by a reporter outside his home, which is now uninhabitable.
