Wendell family hoarding animals evicted from home
A landlord evicted a family from their Wendell home Tuesday afternoon, but when they refused to leave, law enforcement stepped in.
Posted — UpdatedAuthorities called Animal Control officers after finding animals in question of being cared for while serving the eviction notice.
Wake County Animal Control officers were on the scene for about three hours. They removed 10 cats, one dog and one rabbit from the home. Authorities said the animals were taken to the Wake County Animal Center.
“They would never let me in, so I knew something was wrong,” said the landlord and owner of the property, Lisa Messick.
When Messick stepped inside the home, she discovered issues beyond just animal hoarding—the entire house was filled with trash from floor to ceiling.
“If you agree to have animals, then you agree to that responsibility no matter what it is,” said neighbor Chris Tiska.
Messick said she is devastated by the condition of her house. She was evicting the tenants for failing to make improvements in lieu of rent. In addition to overflowing litter boxes, she found the house filled with trash.
“The smell was horrible,” Messick said. “Trash taller than me, water damage from a leaking roof where they apparently didn’t do any repairs, filled litter boxes. It’s disgusting.”
Officials said the case is still under investigation by Animal Control. No charges have been filed.
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
