Cumberland woman charged after cats found in home put down

Lou Ann Cain was charged with three counts of felony cruelty to animals and was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond.

Nearby residents said they thought someone had died inside a mobile home on Redfish Drive, off U.S. Highway 301, because of the stench coming from the building, so they asked Cumberland County deputies to check it out Monday.

When deputies arrived, they could see cats that appeared dead through the window of the residence, authorities said. Fearing something had happened to the resident, the deputies called firefighters for help getting inside.

No one was inside aside from the animals, so deputies obtained a search warrant and went through the home with animal control officers, authorities said.

Two of the three live cats removed from the residence had to be put down due to illness, authorities said.

County building inspectors posted the mobile home as uninhabitable.

Dr. John Lauby, director of Cumberland County Animal Control, described the inside of the home as a "hoarder situation," noting it was unsafe for authorities move things around in their search for animals.