NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A Long Island woman was charged with animal cruelty on Tuesday for allegedly maintaining an unsanitary environment, deemed "uninhabitable" by the town, for her 49 animals, according to Suffolk County SPCA.
Linda Hart, 79, was charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty charges after detectives executed a search warrant at her home in Ronkonkoma.
Suffolk County police searched Hart’s home on Tuesday afternoon after receiving a complaint about the living conditions causing distress to her animals.
Many departments including the Islip Hazmat Unit, Suffolk County Sheriffs Department, Islip Animal Control, Islip Fire Marshall, Lakeland Fire Department arrived at the location and helped recover the animals.
All 49 animals were taken from Hart’s home, some of them "covered in urine, feces, severely matted, and infested with thousands of maggots and flies."
Hart’s dogs were kept in cages throughout the home, and the air was so noxious that some investigators had "trouble breathing" after entering.
According to Suffolk County SPCA, the conditions inside were so unsanitary and dangerous that the town deemed Hart’s home “uninhabitable,” posting a placard on it.
Hart was charged with 49 counts and will appear in court on April 11.