Louisiana 71 Year Old Arrested With 14 Dead Cats in Freezer

A 71-year-old woman in Louisiana has been charged with animal cruelty in a bizarre and sad situation. Sheri Hite of Morgan City, Louisiana, is facing 23 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.

Thursday, March 13th police in Morgan City were making a welfare check after a concerned neighbor called and reported that the home had items delivered but sat untouched at the front door.

The officers got no response at the front door and made their way to the back of the home where police said they smelled a strong odor and could see a dead cat inside of the house. Police finally made contact with Sheri Hite who let them inside of her home where the officers say the smell only got worse. The officers saw several other dead cats in the house.

A search warrant was obtained and the search found a total of 21 total dead cats in the house, 14 of them being left in the freezer. Police also say one cat was found alive and taken to an animal rescue.

Officials say Hite told them she had gotten the cats to take care of, and the cats in the freezer were only kept there for temporary storage before they could be disposed of.

The 71-year-old Morgan City woman is in the custody of the Morgan City Police Department and sits on a bond of $25,000 with 23 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals.

Bond for animal cruelty in Louisiana is determined by the custodian of the animal after it's taken from the charged individual, covering all costs over 30 days to shelter and treat the animal after a licensed veterinarian examines the animal.