38 Cats Found Living in Minivan, Owners Arrested On Animal Cruelty Charges

A mother and daughter were arrested after dozens of cats living in their filthy minivan were found by police in Atlanta, Georgia.

According to a report by Inside Edition, a concerned citizen contacted the Atlanta police on April 26 at around 2:30 a.m. and told them about a possibly homeless family living in a van parked in Kroger parking lot in Sandy Springs Circle.

When they arrived at the scene, they discovered the blue Dodge Caravan was moreover filled with 38 cats, including newborn kittens stuffed in the cup holders.

As the police arrived, Alexandria Wingate, 41, claimed she was waiting for her mother, Sharyn Ann Wingate, 70 who was out buying water in the grocery store. The incident report also indicated that Alexandra Wingate claimed they had so many cats because they worked with a local veterinary clinic to place the animals in homes. Furthermore, they also denied they were homeless.

Sgt. Forrest Bohannon of Sandy Springs Police described the vehicle's condition as "deplorable,'" and it appeared that the women had been living in the vehicle with the animals. Further investigation led to the discovery that both also have active warrants for their arrest on cruelty to animals.

Accoring to Fox 5, the women faced another charge of animal cruelty for a March incident where 20 cats were found in their Dunwoody home.

Thus, they were taken to the Dekalb County Jail, where they both remain on $5,000 bond each, after allegedly violating their probation by owning animals.

Meanwhile, Karen Hirsch, a spokeswoman for the LifeLine Animal Project, informed The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that 34 of the 38 cats are healthy and ready to be adopted.

"Out of the four who aren't ready for adoption, one is pregnant, one is nursing kittens, one is FIV positive [feline immunodeficiency virus] and one has an upper respiratory infection," Hirsch said.

After veterinary care, 38 cats will eventually be adopted through the Fulton County Animal Shelter.

Anyone interested in adopting the cats can contact adoptions@fultonanimalservices.com or call 404-613-0357.