A South Florida woman who was caught hoarding dozens of cats, both living and dead, inside her apartment is now being accused of taking money from an animal rescue, according to Local 10.
Reporters said 36-year-old Michelline Toulouse was charged with criminal mischief and petit theft for allegedly stealing from Saving Sage Rescue. It was also revealed that Toulouse worked as a volunteer at the organization before they fired her last week.
Neighbors who live near Toulouse's Sunrise home on Northwest 94th Avenue have been complaining about the smell. Reporters said a worker from Saving Sage dropped by the home to check on Toulouse over the weekend, and that's when she made the shocking discovery.
Over 50 feral cats were reportedly found inside the filthy apartment, starving and walking around their own waste, NBC Miami wrote. "They’re in the ceiling. They’re in the walls. They’re in the ducts. They’re in closets. Every room had cats," Tia Williams with Operation Paw told the news station.
Some were even eating the dead bodies of other cats. Authorities and rescue workers recovered the animals and found at least 10 feline corpses.
“She had every opportunity not to do this to the animals that she claimed that she loved,” Saving Sage Animal Rescue President Gina Vlasek said. “This isn’t love, this is selfish.”
Toulouse and her boyfriend, Jerome Vaughn Jr., were arrested in connection to the theft but there's no word on whether she will face charges for the cat hoarding situation.
Photo: Broward County Sheriff's Office