SCHERTZ, Texas – An apparent animal hoarding case came as a surprise to some residents who live in the Schertz neighborhood where it happened.
A report from the Schertz Police Department said the city’s Animal Services officers seized 64 cats and dogs this past weekend from the property, which is located on Hillbrook Drive near West Schaefer Road.
Officers returned to the property on Tuesday morning where they collected more cats from the home, including one caught in a trap that they had set out previously.
In a news release sent late Tuesday afternoon, Schertz police officers said they have obtained arrest warrants for two people in connection with the case: Maria Maxcimiana Soliz, 61, and Ricardo Antonio Guajardo, 56.
One neighbor, who wanted to be identified only by the name “Sharon,” said her first inkling that something was wrong came on Saturday evening, when she noticed a couple pets left outside in a cage after their owners moved out of the home.
Sharon said she called police about the seemingly abandoned pets.
However, she said she had no idea at the time that there were so many animals in and around the home.
“It was almost like an illusion. You’d see a couple, see a couple, see a couple, and think it was the same couple,” she said. “But it wasn’t, obviously.”
Other neighbors who spoke off-camera said they also had noticed what they thought were just a few cats around the property from time to time.
Sharon said she watched in shock as officers carried out one pet after another.
“Several of the cats were in very, very bad health, and almost every one of them looked very malnourished,” she said. “I would never want my cats or my dogs living in the deplorable state that these animals were forced to live in.”
Sharon, who owns an assortment of pets herself — including dogs, cats, and chickens — said it was heartbreaking to find out about the hoarding situation so close to home.
“When I realized what was going on over there, I sat and cried for over an hour,” Sharon said.
Right now, all of the seized animals remain in the custody of Schertz’s Animal Services division. The agency also said it is asking for help from the public.
A news release from the Schertz Police Department requested donations such as pet food and cleaning supplies.
The release said those donations should be dropped off at the Schertz Animal Shelter, located at 800 Community Circle.
Schertz police also said both Soliz and Guajardo will be booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on separate Cruelty to Non-Livestock Animal charges, which is considered a Class A misdemeanor.
“We wish to thank the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in our investigation of this offense,” the department said on Tuesday afternoon, in part. “Schertz PD is presently working to locate and secure the apprehension of both suspects.”
Schertz police said its investigation remains ongoing.
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