A 71-year-old Louisiana woman, Sheri Hite, has been arrested on 23 counts of aggravated animal cruelty after police discovered more than 20 dead cats inside her home—including 14 stored in a freezer.
Disturbing Discovery
On March 14, police conducted a welfare check at Hite’s Morgan City residence following a report of concern for her well-being.
As officers approached the entrance, they noticed a dead cat inside and were immediately overwhelmed by a strong odor coming from the home.
Hite granted police permission to enter, where they encountered an “unbearable odor” and multiple deceased cats. The only surviving cat was rescued and handed over to an animal rescue organization.
Police Investigation & Arrest
After securing a search warrant, detectives conducted a further investigation and found:
8 dead cats in various rooms
14 dead cats in the freezer
Hite reportedly told police she had recently picked up cats from Baton Rouge to care for and claimed she had stored frozen cats for later disposal.
She was arrested and is now being held at Morgan County Jail ahead of her court proceedings.
Police have not disclosed whether Hite will face additional charges or if she had a history of animal-related offenses.
