26 Animals Seized From Calif. Motel Room

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – Santa Cruz County authorities have confiscated more than two dozen animals from a couple who were hoarding them in their motel room they shared with two children. Staff of the downtown Santa Cruz motel went to the man and woman’s room on Tuesday because they had not heard from the couple in more than a month. Inside they found 20 domestic birds, a cat and a rabbit. There was one dead bird in a cage and three others stuffed in the freezer.

“In this particular case, they also collected junk in addition to animals,” said Todd Stosuy, animal control manager for the Santa Cruz County Animal Services Authority.

The couple, who shared the room with their two children, could face misdemeanor animal neglect charges, but they were not cited or arrested.

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Information from: Santa Cruz Sentinel, http://www.santacruzsentinel.com