Two arrested after 73 animals found neglected in Topeka home; 18 dead

TOPEKA (KSNT) – 73 animals were removed from a home in central Topeka on Tuesday and another 18 died according to TPD.

A captain with the Topeka Police Department said the living conditions at the central Topeka house where the pets were seized were among the worst she’s ever seen. Things are looking up for some of the animals as they are now in safe hands, getting the medical care they need.

“We’re seeing a lack of fresh food or water,” senior director with the animal rescue team for the Humane Society of the U.S. Jessica Johnson said. “Their hips are evident, their backbone is evident, their ribs are protruding. There are some animals that have some wounds that appear to be untreated. We’re seeing some animals that have missing eyes and things like that.”

The situation at the home started to draw attention from the neighborhood. One neighbor tells 27 News he saw dozens of cats packed upstairs. Jaysom McBroom says he stayed in the house with the owner for a brief time, but it wasn’t easy for residents or pets to live in.

“She was too old to be able to take care of them,” McBroom said. “She’s a cat woman, you know, she loves her cats. The dogs were hard for her to handle. It’s not livable. Not anywhere else in it. The only room that was probably the one I was in.”

TPD has arrested two people they believe are involved in the situation. They are booked into the Shawnee County Jail, facing animal cruelty charges.