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Kathy Arnold, a former Spencer attorney, who was charged with animal cruelty in
Roane County has been charged again in Staunton, Virginia.
A decision of what to do with 55 cats found stuffed in cages and left inside a storage
unit was temporarily delayed Wednesday because Arnold has been placed in a
psychiatric facility at the University of Virginia.
Police arrested the 48-year-old Staunton woman last Sunday, after the cats were
discovered at American Mini Storage. She is charged with animal cruelty and faces
up to 55 years in prison and $137,500 in fines, according to the Staunton News
Leader.
Authorities said the animals were found jammed inside four cages and a cat carrier.
Three of the cages measured three feet by two feet and the fourth cage measured
just two feet by two feet.
Police said the animals were crammed in the cages for at least 72 hours. Food and
water was reportedly contaminated with urine and feces.
All of the animals survived and are being kept in an isolation unit in a SPCA
facility.
Arnold's husband, Eric Arnold, told Judge A. Lee McGratty that his wife collapsed
Tuesday morning and couldn't attend Wednesday's hearing because she's been
admitted to a psychiatric unit. "She desperately wanted to be here this morning," he
said.
Eric Arnold argued the cats were inappropriately seized by police. Arnold later said
police had "no probable cause. End of comment."
The SPCA said some of the confiscated cats, which included two litters of kittens,
were covered with excrement and were underweight, with some suffering
respiratory ailments.
Kathy Arnold is being billed by the SPCA at a rate of $5 per day for each cat,
according to the newspaper.
The Arnolds were evicted from their Staunton residence April 16 after breaching an
installment contract.
Arnold and her husband, Eric, were arrested in 1999 in Roane County and charged
with starving 13 horses, a burro, a dog and a cat.
Eric Arnold was convicted of 12 counts of animal cruelty and sentenced to 60 days
in jail. He is currently appealing his Roane convictions.
Kathy Arnold was charged with 16 counts of animal cruelty in Roane County, but
she has not shown up for court appearances.
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