A 55-year-old Hulmeville woman was forced to surrender 40 cats and three dogs, to Bucks County Animal Control after authorities were told of the strong odor of urine emanating from her home, and now faces 15 counts of animal neglect and a slew of related summary neglect offenses.
On May 10, Bucks County Animal Control received information that a house in the 900 block of Bellevue Avenue in Hulmeville Borough had a strong odor of cat urine coming from it and possibly a significant number of cats. A Humane Society Police Officer spoke with a resident of the property, identified as Barbara Allen. On May 21, 2025, after several conversations and a rescheduled appointment, the officer was allowed to inspect the conditions and observe the animals at the home on May 21, court papers show.
When Animal Control entered the property, there was a strong smell of ammonia and cat urine. The living room was full of boxes and items and several cats came up to the officer. A domestic long-hair cat, later identified as “Thing”, was missing a lot of hair and his skin was so scabby that you could not feel regular skin beneath his thinned fur. Live fleas were crawling on him, Humane Society officials said.
There were several dogs in crates in the dining room. All of the floors in the home had a layer of dried feces and there was a large presence of flies. Everything in the house, including the walls, had a sticky film covering it, commonly associated with cat urine. Most of the cats had runny noses and/or eyes, an indicator of upper respiratory infections. The majority of the animals viewed that day had good weight. Authorities observed copious amounts of cat food in the kitchen on the counters and on the table. The odor inside the house was very strong and burned the officer’s throat and eyes, written by the SPCA officer in the affidavit.
Allen agreed to surrender the animals so that they could be treated for their medical and flea issues. On May 22, Humane Society officials removed three dogs and 36 cats. Due to the conditions inside the home and the ability for cats to get into walls and into inaccessible areas in the basement, cats are still being removed. As of June 17, four additional cats have been surrendered bringing the total number of animals to 43, according to authorities.
The animals were brought back to the shelter and examined by staff veterinarian, Dr. Katie Gallant, DVM. The first two dogs removed, “Karma” a female pitbull mix type dog and “CoCo” a female Labrador Retriever Mix type dog both had severe skin infections with live fleas, missing hair, and thickened skin. “Karma” also showed signs of chronic ear issues. The third dog, “Bubby”, a male pitbull/Rottweiler mix type dog, also had areas of hair loss and many masses, according to court papers.
16 of the 40 cats had multiple medical issues requiring immediate medical care by a veterinarian. The conditions included: live fleas, skin irritation/infections, missing hair, scabbing, ear infections, upper respiratory infections, eye infections, matted hair, nasal/lung congestion and/or discharge, and ulcers in the mouth. Twenty of the 40 cats had less severe medical issues requiring treatment by the veterinarian. Those conditions included live fleas, skin irritation/infections, scabbing, ear debris/discharge, nasal congestion/discharge and eye discharge. All of the animals that required medical treatment have had their conditions improve or resolve with treatment and a clean environment, said SPCA officials.
Based on observations and diagnosed medical issues, the officer believed that necessary veterinary care was not provided for 39 animals and that 43 animals were living in very unsanitary conditions.
Allen received a summons to appear before Judge Daniel Baranoski on July 16 to answer to said charges. She currently has no attorney of record, according to online court records.
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