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CONTACT 13: Cats from hoarding case ready for adoption soon

Posted at 6:00 PM, Aug 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-12 22:03:56-04

Cats and kittens rescued from a hoarding situation are being nursed back to health and made ready for adoption. 

Contact 13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears has the details in a story that's only on Action News.

Too tiny for even a six-week-old kitten, the tiny black feline howls until he's placed with his mother--who's been too sick to nurse her babies.

The kitten and a litter-mate and its mother have been at the vet since the day they were seized in June. 

He came in very sick, malnourished, underweight and in really bad shape. 

In fact, he may have died if Animal Control hadn't stepped in.

He's still being nursed back to health but the vet says he will be healthy enough to be adopted out soon.

Henderson authorities rescued 22 cats and kittens from a hoarding situation. 

Julie Frohlich was arrested for multiple animal welfare crimes and recently pleaded no contest to three charges-- depriving animals of food, shelter and medical attention, failure to spay and neuter, and exceeding the allowed number of permitted animals. 

"I pointed that out to her and she basically told me that my eyes were deceiving me," said Amy Clatterbuck of Street Dogz rescue. She originally reported Frohlich to Animal Control. 

Frohlich had reached out to the rescue for help with food and litter, but abruptly cut ties when Clatterbuck expressed concern about the cats.

Darcy Spears: Do you still shake your head when these cases come up?
Dr. Randy Winn: Oh, always.

Dr. Randy Winn at VCA Black Mountain Animal Hospital provides medical treatment for Henderson Animal Control. 

He and his staff treated about 10 of the animals from Frohlich's case.

"They were all fairly emaciated, in poor nutritional health. Most of them had an upper respiratory infection--like a cold."

The mother cat is still being treated for a severe eye infection. 

Authorities found Frohlich outside with her cats at the Russell Road Recreational Complex during an excessive heat warning. 

They say she appeared to be homeless and threatened to fight anyone who tried to take her cats.

For Dr. Winn, "It looks like somebody just got overwhelmed and was trying to do the right thing with the cats and just couldn't."

For Clatterbuck, it's much more than that.

"It's a mental health issue, so she can't just be slapped on the wrist and get some jail time."

But that's exactly what happened. 

Despite a separate warrant out for her arrest in Clark County for previous animal welfare violations, Frohlich was sentenced to just 30 days in jail in the Henderson case. 

She served 12 and was released with an order to not commit any similar crimes for one year. 

She also had to forfeit all her animals.

Frohlich has declined repeated requests for an interview. 

Most of her cats have already been adopted out by the City of Henderson. 

But the ones still with VCA Black Mountain Animal Hospital need forever homes and should be ready for adoption in three to four weeks. 

Anyone interested should call the City of Henderson Animal Care and Control facility at 702-267-4970.