15 felines, 12 over limit, cause catfight in Dudley; Family fined $100 a day, puts home on market.

PositionLOCAL NEWS

Byline: Brian Lee

DUDLEY - Mary Ellen Richards of Kennedy Drive has lots of cats.

That's about the only thing she and some neighbors and town officials agree on.

With what she said are 15 pet cats, 12 more than the town allows in a residence, Mrs. Richards said she is being pushed out of the home she has lived in since 1997. A few weeks ago the family put the house on the market.

Mrs. Richards said she isn't running a business, the cats aren't troubling to neighbors and claims that two neighbors tip-toed around her to complain.

The town has fined her $1,800 as of yesterday, $100 a day since a cease-and-desist order was instituted by building inspector Daniel J. Heney.

Town Administrator Peter Jankowski said Mr. Heney periodically checks Mrs. Richards' house to see if she still has more than three cats. At one time the inspector reported more than 20 cats.

"We have to take action and make sure she complies with zoning as we'd do with anybody," the administrator said, adding the issue was brought forward by the neighbors and the town doesn't actively look for people with more than three cats.

The neighbors say going to the town was a last resort because they are tired of seeing urine and picking up cat poop that is clearly from Mrs. Richards' pets.

Amy Orn, who lives across the street, said her 2-year-old daughter contracted Coxsackie virus last month, likely from her toy or ball that had contacted feces. Mrs. Orn said her 8-year-old daughter is allergic to cats and dogs and has eczema and asthma.

Mrs. Richards asserts the virus can't be contracted from stepping in cat poop and challenges the neighbor to present medical proof of it. She said the cats in her home are fully vetted and up-to-date on shots.

Around Labor Day Weekend, when the Orns were away, one of Mrs. Richards' cats entered the Orns' garage and remained there for three days. When the family returned, they found cat feces and urine. Mrs. Orn told Mrs. Richards to come get her cat. Mrs. Richards called for Willow and the pet emerged. Mrs. Richards cleaned up the mess. Hard feelings remain.

Mrs. Orn said she told Mrs. Richards they needed to discuss what she felt was a major problem. "She said, `Not right now. He's hungry and needs to be fed and taken care of,'" Mrs. Orn said.

The neighbor never returned, Mrs. Orn alleges. "That's why we went to the town. My husband (Glenn) said enough is enough. There is feces on my son's window. We can't even open the window."

Mrs. Orn showed a...

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