Hundreds of cats rescued from Southern California nonprofit – CBS News

Hundreds of cats rescued from Southern California nonprofit  CBS News

Upland police rescued hundreds of cats in an animal-hoarding case tied to a Southern California nonprofit. "The malnourishment, the neglect, injuries that aren't being treated, cats being brought in that already had a preexisting injury that wasn't treated correctly — it was turning into something much worse," said Sgt. Eric DiVincenzo from the Upland Police Department. Police raided the nonprofit, "Furget Me Not Purebred," as part of a two-city illegal animal hoarding operation on Monday. "Ecstatic that they're finally being rescued," said Ku'ulei Reyes, office manager at Comfort and Hays Electric. Reyes works next door to the nonprofit in the 11th Street business park. She said things were fine when the nonprofit moved in five years ago but quickly became unbearable.

"A smell of ammonia. At times, when the summer heat, it would really amplify," Reyes said. The conditions became so bad that her boss filed a lawsuit against the nonprofit, which also lists a boarding facility called "Purradise Luxury Cat Hotel and Spa." Other businesses joined the suit, saying the strong smell not only triggered allergic reactions but turned away customers. Videos from an ex-employee of the nonprofit, which became part of the lawsuit, showed cramped, unsanitary conditions, injured cats and animal cages stacked in the bathroom."To realize that they were being stored in these types of conditions is