SPCA, officials return to Glen Cove home to rescue remaining cats

The Nassau County SPCA and Glen Cove Police, clad in full hazmat suits, returned to a St. Andrews Lane home Wednesday, corralling another 17 cats from a property where nearly 120 felines were removed this week, officials said.

But Gary Rogers, board president of the Nassau SPCA, said there could be up to 20 more cats still lingering throughout the house, including in the ceiling, and that his agency has no more room to store the animals.

Currently, 68 of the rescued cats are being kept in the vacant basement of Glen Cove City Hall; 47 others are in a Glen Cove animal shelter, along with two dogs taken from the house, and 19 cats are in veterinary care because they're critically ill, Rogers said.

"So until the [Nassau] DA's office or the City [of Glen Cove] finds space, these animals can't be moved," an exasperated Rogers said Wednesday afternoon.

Rachel Yonkunas, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office said, said they've "secured dedicated housing across multiple properties in the city of Glen Cove to ensure every rescued cat has a safe space, and we will continue to adapt as any additional animals are recovered. Additionally, NCDA is arranging for the funding of all necessary veterinary care for these animals, including immediate medical treatments and vaccines."

City spokesman Roni Jenkins said a news conference is being planned for Thursday to provide updates on the case.

"We are actively working with multiple agencies and rescue partners to secure appropriate housing and care for all of the cats," Jenkins said.

And the list of animals continues to grow as two of the cats were having kittens Wednesday, Rogers said.

"It's absolutely ridiculous," Rogers said as he and his staff returned to the home, setting up traps to capture some of the cats that have proved elusive to investigators. "We got a disaster trailer and set it up in City Hall in Glen Cove. "

The felines ranged in age from kittens to adults, officials said.

Lt. John Nagle, of the Glen Cove Police Department, said the house is in such disarray that finding the remaining cats is difficult.

"They're hiding in holes in the wall," Nagle said. "They're hiding in the furniture. They're all over the place. We're just trying to make sure we get all the animals out. So it's taking some time."

On Tuesday, the homeowner, Alena Horbatko, 54, was arraigned in Glen Cove City Court, where she pleaded not guilty to 67 counts of animal cruelty, two counts of reckless endangerment and one count of endangering the welfare of a child. She was released on her own recognizance.

Judge Joseph Capobianco issued orders of protection directing Horbatko to stay away from her two daughters — ages 18 and 12 — and prohibited her from taking in more animals. She also signed a full surrender of all the animals, records show.

John Ladis, an attorney who represented Horbatko during her arraignment, said his client "looks forward to addressing the allegations levied against her in court."

The children, Nagle said, are staying with their father while Horbatko has yet to return to the home, which is considered uninhabitable.

"It's the ammonia smell and, from a standpoint of livability, the urine, the feces, the filth all over the house that is making it really uninhabitable," Nagle said.

Officers responded to Horbatko's home early Monday morning after receiving a call from her 18-year-old daughter complaining about the conditions she and her sister were living in, charging documents state.

The eldest daughter told police, "There is so much stuff you can barely walk" and "I have developed breathing issues," charging documents state.

Members of the Glen Cove Fire Department and Nassau County Fire Marshal's Office conducted tests inside the home, showing ammonia levels reaching 18 parts per million — a level which, with prolonged exposure, can cause respiratory irritation and other adverse health effects, authorities said.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.