PSPCA removes 35 cats from 2 apartments in Frankford

Animal-welfare agents removed 35 cats - 33 live and two dead - from two rowhouse apartments in the city's Frankford section on Thursday.

Based on a tip, officers with the Pennsylvania SPCA executed a search warrant at a first-floor apartment in the 4400 block of Griscom Street, said Gillian Kocher, spokeswoman for the PSPCA.

Kocher said the officers removed 17 live cats and two dead from the apartment, which was described as feces-covered and urine-soaked. The officers also found 16 live cats in the third-floor apartment in the same rowhouse.

All the cats were surrendered to the PSPCA and were to be examined by the organization's veterinary team. When any of the cats are deemed healthy enough, they will be made available for adoption.

Kocher said cruelty charges were pending for the occupants of the two apartments.

"Our humane-law-enforcement officers work diligently to remove animals from situations of cruelty and neglect like this on a daily basis," PSPCA CEO Jerry Buckley said.

The PSPCA recently created the George Bengal Fund to fight animal cruelty, Kocher said. It is named for the organization's director of humane law enforcement, who has terminal cancer. Donations to the fund can be made at bengalfund.kintera.org.

The PSPCA's cruelty hotline is 866-601-SPCA and tips can be made anonymously.

bmoran@phillynews.com 215-854-5983 @RobertMoran215