Town condemns Holtsville house

The Holtsville house where the Suffolk County SPCA responded to a call Sunday has been condemned for unsanitary conditions and mold, town officials said Wednesday.

A former resident, in poor health and feeling overwhelmed, called the SPCA Sunday to ask for help with his dog and 13 cats, according to SPCA chief Roy Gross.

What officials found was an Expressway Drive South house with walls "covered in animal feces and a substantial amount of mold was found in the bathroom," according to town officials.

The dog was in "poor health" and taken to the town animal shelter for treatment, while the cats remained on the property, where they were fed and given water by shelter employees, town officials said.

The yard was filled with trash and several tires, town officials said. SPCA officers notified the town's Quality of Life Task Force investigators, public safety and animal shelter personnel, and the Building Department, which condemned the two-bedroom structure.

The landlord and the resident were issued desk appearance tickets for litter and outdoor storage of tires.

In an interview Sunday, Bruce Wilson said he had moved out of the house recently after being laid off from his job and could no longer afford the rent. He returned to feed the animals daily and removed their waste every couple of days, he said, but fell behind when he became ill.

He will not face animal cruelty charges, Gross said.

Property records show that the Laux Family Irrevocable Trust of Ronkonkoma owns the property. The family could not be reached for comment.

With Nicholas Spangler