This is pretty terrible

[weatherwunder]

Sick kitties crowd Lincoln shelter BY LEAH THORSEN / Lincoln Journal Star

Ashort-haired, Oriental cat with ulcers on her tongue, fleas infesting her dirty fur.


Awhite torti, bald in places, suffering from parasitic skin disease and a nasty ear infection.


A pregnant orange tabby with mites in her ears -- her head and back covered in scabs.

Those are three of the 78 cats and two dogs Animal Control says it rescued Friday from a house at 5020 South St.

No charges were filed Wednesday against Judy A. Funkey and Lorraine E. Beil, who own the house.

Both women were ticketed a day earlier on suspicion of animal neglect, animal cruelty and violating city sanitation laws.

"At this point, we're denying everything," said D. Kirk Wolgamott, the Lincoln attorney representing Funkey.

No one answered the door at the house Wednesday evening.

Of the 78 original cats, 76 were brought to the Capital Humane Society. Two of those were euthanized Wednesday morning -- one at the request of its owner who realized how sick it was and the other because of acute illness, said Bob Downey, executive director.

One cat died almost immediately after being taken from the house.

The whereabouts of the 78th cat was unknown Wednesday night.

The shelter is holding about twice the number of cats it normally houses this time of year after the rescue, Downey said.

"We're stretched to the limits,"he said so stretched that the shelter parking garage is being used to house them.

The shelter had to rent four fans at a cost of $400 a week and make costly alterations to the garage air-conditioning system to keep the cats cool, he said.

"We've pretty much turned the garage into a MASH unit," Downey said.

One cat and one dog have been claimed by their owners.

Downey said that the cat's owner said she gave her cat to Funkey in May and was shocked Wednesday by its poor health.

"It's incredible how this cat deteriorated from the end of May until today," Downey said. "Nobody can plead ignorance."

Animal Control has been suspicious of Funkey for several years, said agency manager Jim Weverka.

Five years ago, Animal Control went to a house Funkey owned, but the carpets had been ripped off the floor and she was cleaning furiously, Weverka said.

No cats were there at the time.

But Funkey's longtime friend and cat enthusiast Linda Lyman says the women are being unfairly accused of mistreating animals.

"Judy is very knowledgeable and the conditions that Mr. Weverka describes are impossible," Lyman said.

She said Funkey had been caring for her 20 cats since the beginning of June, when Lyman became ill with an infected abdomen. Lyman is recovering at the Waverly Care Center.

Lyman said she moved from Lincoln to rural Waverly in October so she wouldn't have to give up her cats. City law requires anyone with more than five cats to have a permit.

She also is upset at the cost to claim her cats: a $75 veterinarian's fee to examine the cats after they were taken from the house.

Owners also must pay a $5 deposit for a rabies vaccination if there is no proof of rabies shots, a $12 charge if the cat is sterilized and $24 if not, Downey said.

According to a search warrant, Animal Control had periodically received complaints about "unlicensed and diseased cats in unsanitary conditions" at the house.

John Lowry, an Animal Control supervisor, said he asked Beil if he could inspect the house on July 21 and she refused.

Beil said she had lived there for three months, but on Dec. 8 she also listed the residence as her home in a theft complaint, according to the warrant. It said Beil also had told Lowry that Funkey had moved out of town.

Lowry also said he smelled cat urine and feces while standing 50 feet from the door, the warrant said.

Lincoln police had no criminal record for either woman.

Attorney Wolgamott said his client will plead not guilty.

"I'm anticipating a slew of counts," he said, maybe as many as three charges per cat.

The cats will be held through the weekend, and officials will meet Monday to decide the cats' futures.

Meanwhile, Lyman is furious that her cats were taken and that Funkey's reputation has been smeared.

"The cats have been stolen and a very good person's name is being blackened," Lyman said. "And Ithink that is very wrong."

[coriolis]

That's sad. I've heard about cases like this before. Usually the people think that they are doing a good thing, giving homes to all these cats. It just gets out of control for them.

[streetsoldier]

Many "animal shelters" are being run by well-meaning, but ill-equipped people, in facilities (such as private houses) that are not desgned for such use.

IMHO, to open a shelter, at least ONE of the owners should have a DVM, state-licensed, and the staffers should have some state-mandatory training in animal control/care. The physical sturcture should meet a set of guidelines as to equipment, food storage and preparation, kennels, sanitation, "roaming areas" and quarantine for injured or sick animals.

Inspections should be at least four times a year at staggered intervals by the state licensing board, and certain ratings (such as those once used for public restaurants, i.e. "A"="Best", "B"="OK, but...", etc.) should be required to be prominently displayed on the door of the receiving area after each inspection. These can be upgraded after a second inspection to certify compliance within a specified time frame.

You can tell I haven't put much thought in this....LOL

[Lindaloo]

Well I have 6 cats, 5 dogs, fish, a Cocketiel, a rabbit and 3 horses now. I take every one of them to the vet for their yearly shots and for the horses their yearly plus the West Nile vaccine every six months. Plus the monthly flea treatments and the monthly heartguard for the dogs. None of my cats go outside and you do not even know they are in my home. They are all well behaved and healthy. The cats can even do tricks like the dogs. They have plenty of toys to play with, including the outside dogs. I let the big dogs run during the day and they go into their own pad at night, which is also clean. I also have two children to raise and their dental, medical etc. not to mention that I work full time. But I still manage to take care of all these rescued animals. So no, there is no damn excuse for the way these animals were cared for. NONE.

[streetsoldier]

The local shelter was among the first in the country to envision, and implement a "roaming area" for their animals...one of my Lodge brethren designed the pool and moated/fenced paddocks for dogs and cats, and I must say it works extremely well for the furballs.

The only drawback is that the shelter is not publically funded, and relies on contributions, primarily for food. I do what little I can, and have asked many retail outlets for donations, to which they have responded well so far. Repeated attempts to get city/county/state funding have all gone down the tubes...but, the shelter has an excellent adoption program which is aired on a local public-info channel through the school district.

[coriolis]

Wow, Lindaloo, the waste disposal must be a challenge!

[Miss Mary]

LINDA!!! You said it so well! I commend you once again for taking these animals in. And now they're ALL your beloved pets, not unwanted strays. Not everyone can afford to do that and to make that committment is wonderful. I only own one pet, a Golden, and she's quite a handful. The cost can be staggering, especially the first year (shots, spaying/neutering, etc.). But she's been worth it. Wish we could more but right now one pet is enough for us. Just wanted you to know you went up a notch in my book - as if you weren't already there!

This cat story broke my heart. How can people just ignore suffering like this? In my neighborhood, we live 1/2 mile from the highway. Cats are routinely dumped in the woods nearby - which makes me livid! I have now taken at least 4 cats to the SPCA over the past 10 years I'd say. Several had feline aids and had to be put to sleep immediately. One I could not find a home for, he was the sweetest of cats. We couldn't find the owner, no one would take him, my daughter would sit outside and pet him for hours, then come in with eyes almost swollen shut and need Benadryl. Neighbors kept telling us to adopt him and put my daughter on meds. I said NO! Can't do that, drug her and adopt a cat? An allergist tested her once and she was highly allergic to cats we discovered. So long story, short I took him to the SPCA, gave him such a glowing report. The very next day that SPCA was featured on a local news program and he was promptly adopted. I was having second thoughts and wanted to pick him up. Now that was one happy ending. But in my neighborhood no one takes responsibility for these wandering cats! Which makes me so mad. So I take care of it. Right now we think there's another. I just need to make sure this cat doesn't have an owner nearby, before taking him/her in. Just a community service project I took on years ago. Can't see animals suffering. So many of these dropped off cats were ill to begin with. Why are people so cruel? Or uncaring?

[Stephanie]

That's sad. I've heard about cases like this before. Usually the people think that they are doing a good thing, giving homes to all these cats. It just gets out of control for them.

Exactly. They end up becoming as overwhelmed as the shelters become. It is hard to say no when you see a cute little face that looks lost or is homeless, sometimes you just have to! Three of my cats were strays and before we moved three years ago to our new house, there were two more strays living in the woods in our backyard that we fed. We lived off of a main highway that was great for dumping cats as well. I pass by that house almost everyday to work and I think about them from time to time. I hope that someone did take them in. I felt so bad leaving them! Glassboro has a pet owership restiction of no more than 3 cats and 3 dogs. Like I said, I have 4 cats but they "grandfathered" one in.

[Lindaloo]

Wow, Lindaloo, the waste disposal must be a challenge!

I have two of those automatic litter boxes. No odor, no mess. I change the rabbit cage every other day because he uses it in one corner of his cage. I have three air cleaners in the house and reduces the presence of cat hair plus now I do not have to vacuum every day!!! The dogs have a 75 foot wide by 150 foot deep yard to run in so I do not have to clean up dog waste. As for the horses, they are stabled at my Uncles and he does that for me. I go up on Saturday mornings and clean their stalls. They have a 10 acre pen to roam in too. On my days off that is where I will be found. lol. My kids have just as much fun with these animals as I do.

[Lindaloo]

Thanks Mary!! That means alot. I never mentioned my Pomeranian. She was dumped off on a busy highway here which I later learned why she was dumped and that was because she was soiling the house. The reason? she had bladder stones and they needed to be removed. She had all kinds of health issues. I was told to either have them removed or put her to sleep. That was not an option. She had bad teeth, nail fungus, heartworms, bad fur, bad skin. After 9 months of surgery, heartworm treatments, cleanings, nail cutting treatment and groomings she is now a healthy little girl. She is bouncy and bubbly and plays with toys. But she is not spoiled rotten. lol.

[Colin]

I have 1 dog...A bichon frise...he's not bad but he's not good either. But the thing I can say, is that we take darn good care of him. I can't believe what these people do to these poor cats.

[Lindaloo]

Last year my Uncle had an old car towed in. I kept hearing noises. I found 4 kittens in the trunk and they had no fur. Looked like they were maybe a week old. So I scooped them up and brought them home. I called the vet and he told me what to do. I nursed them on Similac and a little bottle he gave me. I had to wet a paper towel with warm water and make them wee wee. The first time I did this I got soaked. lol. The vet told me that the Mother strokes them to make them do that. If it is not done they would die. One of them was blind. I let my sisters pick which one they wanted. Of course, they did not want the blind one. So I kept him. The vet did something to his eyes because the Mother has to do something to them when they are first born. He can see now. Anyway, they are all nine months old now and healthy. The one I kept, Tobey, now weighs 18 pounds and has light blue eyes. He is a big, beautiful cat and follows me everywhere I go. lol. Do you know he still likes me to feed him from a bottle? lol. Now my sisters want him. Too bad.

The point of my story is I had such a good time helping those kittens and I felt even better that they all survived. My vet said that is very rare.

Okay Miss Mary!! lol.

[Stephanie]

What wonderful stories about your pets - especially the kittens Lindaloo!!