Woman explains why she kept 100 dead cats in her freezer (hint: it's religion)
41 replies, posted
[url]http://www.weau.com/home/headlines/96593824.html[/url]
[release]A Jackson county couple is accused of keeping at least 100 dead cats in a freezer that didn't work. Now, they say they're being targeted because of their religion.
Gabriella Bernabei says she kept the cats in the freezer because she hadn't found the right time to bury the cats. She says she's Wiccan and in her religion you honor the animal by returning it to Mother Earth. She believes it's her Wiccan beliefs that got her in trouble with the law. But, the sheriff says she and her boyfriend were mistreating their cats.
It was in an un-working freezer in the back of a garage that the Jackson County Sheriff's Department says it found 100 dead cats accumulated over a year and half. The woman who put them there says that number is closer to 50 and says the freezer was working. Bernabei says she brought some of the cats with her from Illinois when her family moved to Jackson County. She says others weren't necessarily theirs, but every animal deserves a burial and she was just waiting for the right moment to return them to the earth.
"That's what you do with a dead animal waiting for a burial. (It was) just proper storage until then. That was responsible," says Bernabei.
Bernabei and her boyfriend Robert Grassi are accused of mistreating animals and not meeting cat sanitation standards.
"The unkempt house and the combination of the fecal matter from the animals with other contributing factors did not make the conditions of the home livable," says Jackson County Sheriff Duane Waldera.
A couple weeks ago, social services removed the couple’s three children and placarded the home.
"It’s unfortunate that children have to live in a situation like that. But, that's why we have so many agencies—the sheriff's office as well as health and human services. It's too bad that it has to come to that but that's what we're here for—to protect the children," Waldera says.
Seventeen cats were taken to the Jackson County Animal Shelter.
"We don’t want anybody to let an animal be in harm's way and these were obviously cats that had been in harm's way for a length of time," says Barb Pfaff, Jackson County’s animal control officer.
Pfaff is also in charge of the Jackson County Animal Shelter. She says they're treating the cats for worms and upper respiratory infections. She says some were extremely thin and some couldn't be saved. But, Bernabei says her cats were happy.
"They're part of our family. They’re my furry children. We had a connection with them. They have a connection with us and I believe that's the best treatment of all,” Bernabei says.
Bernabei says they're also fighting to get their children back. But, she didn't want to talk about the situation without talking with her attorney first. She admits parts of her home were in need of cleaning and says they're taking care of it.
Bernabei and Grassi were not arrested in the case. The sheriff says the department forwarded its report to the district attorney for review and possible charges. He says they’re waiting on some test results to determine how the cats died.
[quote]
PRESS RELEASE FROM JACKSON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT:
On Thursday, June 03, 2010 the Sheriff’s Office assisted Jackson County Department of Social Services and the Jackson County Public Health Department at N10377 Samuelson Lane in the Township of Northfield with a home visit and inspection. During the inspection we noticed numerous cats that appeared to be sick and without cleaned litter boxes. On June 3rd, the health officers placarded the residence due to its unsafe health conditions.
Based upon information gathered during the inspection on June 3rd, investigators were able to obtain a search warrant for N10377 Samuelson Lane. During the search, the carcasses of about 100 dead cats were located in a non-functioning freezer located in the garage. Another 17 live cats and kittens were seized by the animal control officer, Barb Pfaff that appeared to be neglected. The dead animals were seized as evidence and the live ones were turned over to the animal shelter.
Gabriella Bernabei and Robert J.A. Grassi were referred to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office for mistreating animals (951.02) and not meeting the cat’s sanitation standards (951.14(4).[/quote][/release]
Fucking Wiccans.
Not all wiccans are like that. My mom is wiccan, and acts just like every other person I know.
[B]Edit:[/B]
She's in trouble with the law for respecting animals..
What are we supposed to do? Kick them in the face? Because that gets you in just as much trouble.
Fucking Wiccans, how do they work?
I respect Wiccans.
[editline]02:20AM[/editline]
Don't hate
That house must of smelt like ass
[QUOTE=Saxon;22721615]That house must of smelt like ass[/QUOTE]
I think it would have smelled more like 100 dead cats.
Seems to be a lot of crazy cat ladies out there.
Wicca is a pretty cool religon though.
[QUOTE=Anti Christ;22721605]Not all wiccans are like that. My mom is wiccan, and acts just like every other person I know.
[B]Edit:[/B]
She's in trouble with the law for respecting animals..
What are we supposed to do? Kick them in the face? Because that gets you in just as much trouble.[/QUOTE]
If you'd RTFA, you'd find that they said the living animals were mistreated.
[QUOTE=PrismatexV8;22721692]If you'd RTFA, you'd find that they said the living animals were mistreated.[/QUOTE]
Sorry, if I missed it. No need to get all pissy.
not exactly wicca
[editline]02:38AM[/editline]
[QUOTE=PrismatexV8;22721579]"They're part of our family. They’re my furry children.” Bernabei says.[/QUOTE]
god dammit
WHAT THE FUCK !
caps/
lot of good pussies gone to waste
What a shame
She's just crazy, doesn't really have anything to do with her religion.
[QUOTE=MisterMooth;22721626]I think it would have smelled more like 100 dead cats.[/QUOTE]
Avatar fits?
[QUOTE=starpluck;22721655]Wicca is a pretty cool religon though.[/QUOTE]
Not really, I'd say it's a lot more "out there" than Islam or Catholicism.
I feel sorry for the kids who had to live there really. I hope they are in better hands now.
How about people start posting the horrible things that atheists do? Oh wait, then they couldn't fling shit at religion.
[QUOTE=Paravin;22722261]How about people start posting the horrible things that atheists do? Oh wait, then they couldn't fling shit at religion.[/QUOTE]
Except they didn't do it in the name of atheism or use atheism as a justification like this bitch used religion for.
[editline]03:15AM[/editline]
If you care so much, why don't you find some shit that atheists did in the name of atheism or used atheism as an excuse for?
Yeah, I guess that's a point.
Wait, it's a real religion? I thought it was one of those joke ones that goth kids pretended to be in to rebel against their Catholic parents.
This one also mental problem, not religion
[editline]04:41PM[/editline]
same league as the woman who stuff a bible page down her baby's throat
[QUOTE=BCell;22722622]This one also mental problem, not religion
[editline]04:41PM[/editline]
same league as the woman who stuff a bible page down her baby's throat[/QUOTE]
Are you starting to see the connection?
If you can't find a time to bury even one after a year and a half, its not happening. Its like a guy dating a girl for a year and a half and never having sex. Its not gonna happen. I've had five cats die, and each one is buried in my backyard and has a marker stone. Is it that hard to do lady? I think that's more respectful than stuffing them in a freezer.
[QUOTE=Paravin;22722261]How about people start posting the horrible things that atheists do? Oh wait, then they couldn't fling shit at religion.[/QUOTE]
Or you know, we could, because every group of people has their shit and that shit doesn't speak for the whole group.
Israel doesn't speak for every living jew, Dawkins doesn't speak for every living athiest and the Pope doesn't speak for every living catholic.
Now sit down, shut up, and stop trying to start a shit storm.
That is youst wrong
[QUOTE=Mingebox;22722491]Wait, it's a real religion? I thought it was one of those joke ones that goth kids pretended to be in to rebel against their Catholic parents.[/QUOTE]
That's theistic satanism and that's because they're retarded.
[QUOTE=Anti Christ;22721605]
She's in trouble with the law for respecting animals..
What are we supposed to do? Kick them in the face? Because that gets you in just as much trouble.[/QUOTE]
She's in trouble because the freezer wasn't working, so the cats are rotting and there's catshit everywhere.
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