HENDERSON (KTNV) — Five of the 21 cats seized from a Henderson breeder have died from illness, and buyers say they are seeking financial reimbursement for thousands of dollars in veterinary bills.
Henderson Animal Protection Services seized the cats last month from Sin City Sphynx. The remaining cats are described as very sick and are being held at the Henderson Animal Control Facility.
Multiple buyers paid 2,500 or more per kitten, received animals that died within days, and have not been refunded. Buyers documented in the warrant include:
- Ashley Collins, whose first kitten died and whose replacement animals are sick and require costly veterinary care, including thousands of dollars in dental work.
- Kayce Jones, whose kitten was diagnosed with Feline Panleukopenia — also known as cat Parvo — and humanely euthanized. Jones was offered a replacement at half price.
Collins said her family's time with their first kitten was short-lived.
"On the 15th day is when we rushed her to the emergency vet, and we lost her later that night," Collins said.
Collins said the veterinarian told her the kitten was the 4th Sphynx they had seen that week with the same illnesses.
"Kuromi tested positive for Calicivirus and mycoplasma, which are very preventable but deadly respiratory diseases in kittens," Collins said.
Veterinary records confirm that kittens from the cattery tested positive for Calicivirus — described in the warrant as a life-long, highly contagious viral infection — and Mycoplasma, a bacterial infection causing severe eye and respiratory illness. At least one kitten was shipped to an out-of-state buyer in New Mexico, with sales contracts that falsely stated the animals were healthy.
Dr. Caroline Hensley of Cadence Animal Hospital, the breeder's own primary veterinarian, provided a witness statement to Animal Protection Officers confirming the cattery is infected with Calicivirus. Hensley recommended that breeder Shanti Cloonan sterilize all adult cats and stop breeding entirely. Cloonan declined recommended testing multiple times, including a documented refusal on April 12, 2026, for eye stain testing on a kitten named "Jar Jar." Officers noted that declining the test risked worsening infection, pain, loss of vision, or loss of the eye itself.
During an inspection on March 27, 2026, Cloonan admitted to officers that she had been lying on her permit application and during annual inspections, confessing to using previous cats' names and microchip numbers to avoid paying for additional licenses.
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21 Sphynx cats seized amid investigation into Henderson breeder
Animal Protection Officers issued Cloonan $3,800 in administrative citations on April 11, 2026, and an additional $10,500 in citations on July 25, 2026 — a total of $14,300. The citations remain unpaid. Despite repeated inspections and escalating fines, conditions at the property did not improve.
During the July 25, 2026 inspection, officers observed a severely emaciated kitten. Veterinary records later provided by Cloonan showed the kitten weighed 0.99 pounds and scored a 2 out of 9 on the body condition scale, indicating extreme malnourishment. Cloonan initially refused to take the kitten to a veterinarian, telling officers it would be a waste of money. Officers had to threaten impoundment before Cloonan agreed to seek care.
Collins said she and her family are now seeking reimbursement for their veterinary expenses.
"I think we were sitting right below $8,000, and that comes from all the vet bills. My two cats I have are going to have lifelong treatment," Collins said.
Collins is one of several people who helped Animal Protection Services gather enough information to obtain a warrant against Cloonan. Details in the warrant include:
- Dead cats found in Cloonan's freezer
- A local taxidermist, who operates under the Instagram name "Dealer of the Dead," posted on July 1, 2026 that she had Sphynx kittens in jars for sale. According to the warrant, Cloonan gave or sold the bodies of deceased kittens — some of which died from illness — to the taxidermist to be preserved in jars for sale. Animal Protection Officers noted this as a concern, given that the animals died from contagious disease.
- Animal Protection Services issued more than $14,000 in citations
"I was like visibly sick. I like wanted to throw up," Collins said. "I was crying. Like I just absolutely could not believe it. This feels like something you see in the movies."
Despite the losses, Collins said she is grateful authorities intervened.
"Thankful that animal control did step in," Collins said.
I went to Cloonan's house to get her side of the story. She did not want to go on camera but said the allegations do not paint the full story.
Cloonan has not been arrested. The city attorney's office criminal division is still reviewing the case, and potential charges could be coming soon.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
