Two children, dozens of cats taken from Northeast Philadelphia home in 'deplorable living conditions'

Two children were removed from a Northeast Philadelphia home and two adults were arrested after federal authorities discovered hazardous living conditions at the property Tuesday.

The FBI was conducting “court-authorized law enforcement activities” about 11 a.m. Tuesday, and discovered the children, an 8-month-old and a 5-year-old, inside the home on the 7100 block of Whittaker Avenue in Castor Gardens, the Philadelphia Police Department said. The home was deemed unsafe due to “deplorable living conditions,” and the children were taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

Megan Bach, 44, and Thomas Bach, 43, were taken into custody at the scene, and have been charged with offenses including endangering the welfare of a child, criminal conspiracy, and possession of an instrument of crime. It was not immediately clear what prompted the search of the home, and authorities did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the adults’ relationships to the children found at the property.

The PSPCA said the FBI called in its Animal Law Enforcement team, which discovered the home was housing multiple animals in unsanitary conditions. PSPCA investigators found feces, urine, empty food bags and boxes, and an “overabundance of belongings” in the home, the organization said in a statement.

Though it remains unclear how many animals were on the property, PSPCA workers have removed 48 cats and one dog since arriving on the scene Tuesday. A majority of the rescued cats were removed Tuesday, with 10 more rescued Wednesday after workers set humane traps at the home. Animal rescue efforts are continuing, and it is not uncommon for cases involving large numbers of cats to go on for several days, the group said.

Animals from the property were taken to the PSPCA’s Philadelphia headquarters, where they were slated to undergo forensic examinations and receive medical care, the organization said. The rescued animals, it added, have not been signed over to the custody of the PSPCA, but will remain in its care until the case is resolved.

“Our Animal Law Enforcement team sprang into action yesterday upon learning that animals were living in deplorable and unsanitary conditions inside this home,” said Nicole Wilson, director of the PSPCA’s animal law enforcement and shelter operations. “It is our hope that, in time, each of them will find the loving new homes and new beginnings they deserve.”

Additional information about the FBI’s activity at the home was not immediately available. A spokesperson for the bureau’s Philadelphia office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.