WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — A welfare call from a local veterinarian led to Washington County Animal Control finding over 30 cats and one dog in varying states of neglect inside a woman's home in Fayetteville on Thursday.
On Feb. 14, the vet contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) concerned after one of her clients had stopped coming in to get treatments for her cats' diagnosed upper respiratory infections, according to the WCSO arrest report.
When animal control officers arrived at the home on Hahndo Lane, they found 34 cats in total—nearly all of them sick and neglected.
"Some of them were pretty severely sick," said Tad Sours, spokesperson for Washington County. He said the cats ranged on the older side, 18 diagnosed with upper respiratory infections, 2 FIV-positive, and all malnourished and dehydrated.
According to a Washington County Sheriff's Office report, the owner who had been going to the vet while treating her cats was identified as Ruth, who reportedly died in October 2023. It was found that 72-year-old Morgan MacDonald was still living in Ruth's home and was the sole beneficiary of Ruth's trust.
MacDonald told deputies that Ruth ran a "feral cat rescue out of her house" and that MacDonald didn't want to give up any of the cats because it would've "upset Ruth."
When deputies asked to enter the home, MacDonald allegedly wouldn't let them in beyond just inside the front door because the house was dirty. From where they were standing, deputies could see about 10 cats in the kitchen area who appeared malnourished and had trouble walking, according to the report.
"The house had a very strong odor of cat urine and feces, and there was a significant amount of feces on the floor. Most of it was piled up next to a dustpan as if Morgan had been sweeping it up as we arrived," deputies recalled in the report.
There were cats in cages without food or water, and MacDonald said there were more cats in cages but didn't allow deputies to see them because she said they were aggressive.
The report said that before they left, MacDonald had agreed for the sheriff's department to see the rest of the house the next day at 1 p.m. However, she called that morning and "would not allow us in the house if we came back."
A search warrant was issued for the home the next day, Feb. 15, at 1:30 p.m. According to the responding detective, there were now multiple water bowls and "multiple large bowls of raw ground beef and shredded cheese," despite multiple cases of unopened cat food found stored in the shed. MacDonald reportedly explained it was because the cats were on a grain-free diet.
When MacDonald was asked why there was a bowl of what appeared to be rotten milk in one of the rooms, she said "The cats liked it."
MacDonald "had not taken any of the cats to the vet since Ruth died, even though she knew many of them were in poor health," the report says.
The last time the county saw this severe of a case was about seven years ago, according to animal control officials.
Overall, animal control found 34 cats and one Yorkshire terrier dog who also appeared to be severely neglected.
While all the cats are currently receiving around-the-clock care, 5NEWS was told that if we wanted to be near them we'd need to put on hazmat suits.
MacDonald is facing 18 felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 17 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals.
The animals will be held for 15 days to give MacDonald time to appeal. Sours said if she does appeal, they will be held at the Washington County Animal Shelter as evidence until her trial.
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