Animal Law

Woman faces new charges of animal neglect; cop wore gas mask to rescue kitten

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Found not guilty of animal neglect during a 2011 trial, an Oregon woman is now facing new charges.

After a Portland police officer donned a gas mask to enter the abandoned apartment of Edna Sue Blair, a warrant was issued for her arrest. A total of four charges of animal neglect and animal abandonment have been filed against the 56-year-old. They concern an emaciated kitten rescued by the officer, and a cat later found inside the apartment, reports the Oregonian.

The home is in the worst condition he has ever seen, a Multnomah County animal control officer said, with fecal material covering almost everything inside. Police were called by Blair’s landlord after she left a note on the door saying she would no longer be living at the apartment. Authorities are concerned that Blair may have taken other animals with her, the article recounts.

The kitten reportedly was treated by a veterinarian and is doing well. It isn’t clear from the Oregonian article what happened to the cat.

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