Cats seized from Islip home were living in 'hoarding conditions,' Suffolk police say

An Islip father and son face multiple animal cruelty charges stemming from the discovery of more than two dozen cats living in "hoarding conditions" with "sparse food and no water" at their Lake Street home, authorities said.

Gary Verga, 72, and Daniel Verga, 39, were arrested Tuesday at 7:20 p.m. at the two-story home — garbage piled from floor-to-ceiling and blocking access to the second floor, said Suffolk Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison at a news conference at police headquarters in Yaphank.

"Being the owner of a cat myself, I'm disgusted by this case," Harrison said, "I'm just so glad that we were able to rescue those cats and get them into a safe environment."

Both father and son were charged with 10 counts of failing to provide proper sustenance to an animal and 10 counts of failing to provide proper food and drink to an impounded animal under the state Agriculture and Markets Law, Suffolk police said.

They were issued desk appearance tickets for Thursday at First District Court in Central Islip. It was not immediately clear if either man was represented by counsel.

The 26 cats were removed from the home Jan. 11.

The cats were brought to the Islip Animal Shelter for evaluation, police said. The animals "lacked food, water and were covered in feces," Harrison said.

The arrests capped an investigation triggered in November, Harrison said, when EMS workers responding to a 911 call at the home for a resident having difficulty breathing were unable to get inside because of the mounds of garbage and other materials.

The EMS workers who responded to the Nov. 29 call notified Islip Town of the home's conditions and the town cited the homeowner for violations, Harrison said. The homeowner was then advised to hire a contractor to clean the home.

A contractor discovered the cats on the second floor on Dec. 29 and notified the town. Police were notified Jan. 9 and officers responded to the house the following day.

When police arrived at the home, officers found "several loose cats outside the residence," as well as "a strong ammonia odor" coming from inside the home. After entering the house, police said, officers seized five cages and two containers holding the cats. Suffolk police and officers from the Suffolk County District Attorney's Biological Environmental Animal Safety Team (BEAST), and Islip Town's fire marshal, building inspector, and fire department took part in the operation.

Harrison said it's unclear why there were so many cats in the home, which is now condemned. The investigation is ongoing, he said.

A fire marshal's notice on the home Wednesday warned to keep out.

Officials have additional traps inside the home to catch any other cats that could still be inside, Harrison said.

Harrison said felony charges could be brought if deceased animals are found during a search of the property.

Caroline Smith, a spokesperson for Islip Town, said: "We can't comment as it's under investigation."

Several neighbors said Wednesday they hadn't seen cats on the property, but the home always appeared in disrepair.

"I could be trick-or-treating with the kids," said Patricia Miller, who rents a nearby home, "I would never stop at that house."

Stephen Falk, who lives nearby and frequently walks his dog past the house, said hearing the news about the animals left him "heartbroken."

"I wish I would have known," he said. "I would have said something sooner. Nobody on the block knew."

With James Carbone and Cecilia Dowd