Almost 600 Cats Seized From Pets for Life Shelter
Nearly 600 cats--believed to be a record--were taken from an animal rescue operation long praised for cleanliness but found this week in to be in a deplorable condition, authorities said.
The operator, Doris Romeo, 58, of West Los Angeles was arrested on charges of cruelty and neglect and later released after posting $20,000 bail.
Romeo started the nonprofit Pets for Life operation in 1990. It specialized in rescuing feral and abandoned cats and taking in diseased and dying felines that owners could no longer care for. The unlicensed operation has been supported by donations and proceeds from Romeo’s vegetarian catering business and domestic employment agency.
By Tuesday afternoon, Romeo said all of her clients canceled appointments after learning of her arrest. “I have lost my business. I have lost everything. I have nothing left,” she said.
Officials described the conditions at Romeo’s house, in the 7000 block of Valjean Avenue, as “horrific.”
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