Louisiana woman faces charges after 17 cats found dead in extreme-heat conditions

由 AI 翻译自 The Guardian · Animals

Louisiana woman faces charges after 17 cats found dead in extreme-heat conditions | Louisiana | The Guardian Skip to main content Skip to navigation Close dialogue 1 / 1 Next image Previous image Toggle caption Print subscriptions Newsletters Sign in US US edition UK edition Australia edition Europe edition International edition The Guardian - Back to home The Guardian News Opinion Sport Culture Lifestyle Show more Hide expanded menu News View all News US news US politics Midterms 2026 World news Climate crisis Middle East Ukraine US immigration Soccer Business Environment Tech Science Newsletters The Filter Wellness Opinion View all Opinion The Guardian view Columnists Letters Opinion videos Cartoons Sport View all Sport Soccer NFL Tennis MLB MLS NBA WNBA NHL F1 Golf Culture View all Culture Film Books Music Art & design TV & radio Stage Classical Games Design a better world Lifestyle View all Lifestyle The Filter Wellness Fashion Food Recipes Love & sex Home & garden Health & fitness Family Travel Money Search input google-search Search Support us Print subscriptions Newsletters Download the app Search jobs Digital Archive Guardian Licensing Live events About Us The Guardian app Video Podcasts Pictures Inside the Guardian Guardian Weekly Crosswords Wordiply Corrections Tips Search input google-search Search Search jobs Digital Archive Guardian Licensing Live events About Us US news US politics Midterms 2026 World Climate crisis Middle East Ukraine US immigration Soccer Business Environment Tech Science Newsletters The Filter Wellness Madison Rebecca Colello, who faces 54 counts. Photograph: Walker police department View image in fullscreen Madison Rebecca Colello, who faces 54 counts. Photograph: Walker police department Louisiana Louisiana woman faces charges after 17 cats found dead in extreme-heat conditions Madison Rebecca Colello, 29, surrenders after 20 other cats in severe distress rescued from business in town of Walker Marina Dunbar Fri 18 Sep 2026 17.22 EDT Last modified on Fri 18 Sep 2026 18.22 EDT Share Prefer the Guardian on Google A Louisiana woman faces dozens of animal cruelty charges after 17 cats were found dead at a local business amid dangerously hot conditions without food or water, with 20 other cats in severe distress being rescued. Madison Rebecca Colello, 29, surrendered on Thursday morning at the Livingston parish detention center in Walker, Louisiana . She faces 17 felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty – in connection with the dead cats – and 37 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. The charges followed a disturbing discovery made by Walker police department officers on 12 September, when they were called to investigate a report of suspected animal cruelty. According to the agency, officers responded at about 12.30pm and found an open door at an area business named Waffles Way Home. Officers went inside for a welfare check and encountered temperatures approaching 100F (37.8C). Police said dozens of cats and kittens were confined inside with no access to food or water. Seventeen of the animals were found dead, and the remaining 20 were rescued in severe distress, investigators said. “The cats and kittens who were allegedly the responsibility of Ms Colello obviously suffered a terrible fate,” Walker police chief David Addison told the Guardian. “The number of animals affected by the cruelty is heartbreaking. “Our department intends to send a clear message that this kind of abuse will not be tolerated in Walker.” Authorities said the area where the cats were was clean, hygienically speaking, but the extreme heat and lack of veterinary care had taken a serious and inhumane toll. Police brought in emergency help for the surviving animals. Walker’s animal control agency, representatives from the animal shelter of the nearby community of Denham Springs, and volunteers from the nonprofit Rescue, Rehome & Repeat responded to provide medical treatment and shelter, according to Louisiana news outlet WAFB . Humane Society of Louisiana director Jeff Dorson told the Advocate that Rescue Alliance of Gonzales, Louisiana, took in the 12 sick cats Colello allegedly kept in her garage. Dorson said all 12 cats were suffering from upper respiratory infections and possible ringworm. Explore more on these topics Louisiana US crime Animals news Share Reuse this content Most viewed Most viewed US news US politics Midterms 2026 World Climate crisis Middle East Ukraine US immigration Soccer Business Environment Tech Science Newsletters The Filter Wellness News Opinion Sport Culture Lifestyle Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning Sign up for our email About us Help Complaints & corrections Contact us Tip us off SecureDrop Privacy policy Cookie policy Tax strategy Terms & conditions All topics All writers Newsletters Digital newspaper archive Bluesky Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Threads TikTok YouTube Advertise with us Guardian L