A Long Beach woman was arrested over the weekend in Merced County on suspicion of 93 counts of animal cruelty after 134 cats – 28 of them dead – were found in a U-Haul van in extreme heat without food or water in Santa Nella, a small central California city along the 5 Freeway, authorities said.
A Merced County sheriff’s deputy was asked to check on cats in a U-Haul van as it sat in the parking lot of a Taco Bell about 5:30 p.m. Sunday, June 29, sheriff’s officials said in a statement.
Upon arrival, the deputy saw at least 20 cats “in distress” through a window and called Animal Control, officials said. A photo included in a Sheriff’s Office post shows several cats pressed up against the windshield of the U-Haul van.
Inside, Animal Control officers found 106 “extremely emaciated” cats and 28 dead cats, sheriff’s officials said.
The National Weather Service says Santa Nella’s temperature reached 99 degrees Sunday afternoon.
All of the cats were taken to the Merced County Animal Shelter, which contacted a veterinary center to help with medical treatment. The surviving cats were one week to eight years old.
The cats’ apparent owner, 69-year-old Jeannie Maxon, was taken into custody and booked into Merced County jail.
It’s unclear where the cats came from.
The surviving cats will be available for adoption once they are medically cleared.
“On a warm day, temperatures inside a car can soar to extreme levels in just a few minutes, even with the windows open,” sheriff’s officials said in a statement. “This can lead to heatstroke, dehydration, and even death of the animal left inside.”