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Editor’s Note: Photos in slideshow could be difficult for some readers to view. On March 9 Animal Care and Services issued on update on the case stating it seized 96 cats, including 31 that were dead.
Hollister Police arrested Richard Lopez, 60, and Susie Alarcon, 59, founders of SBC Pet-A-Palooza Rescue for alleged animal cruelty.
Authorities say they seized 13 dogs and about 200 cats at 731 El Toro Drive in “deplorable conditions.” Hollister Police Chief Carlos Reynoso told BenitoLink there were also reports of dead animals stored in freezers.
“The people who got arrested probably didn’t intend for this to happen but this got out of control a long time ago,” Reynoso said.
At the property, located in an unincorporated area, owners can have up to eight cats and that there is no limit on dogs, Animal Care and Services supervisor Alyssa Bautista told BenitoLink.
“When we came here and served that warrant there was definitely a lot to be addressed in terms of the health and the welfare of the animals, the housing of the animals,” Bautista said. “Some didn’t have food and water.”
She said poor living conditions including improper ventilation and excessive animal feces, caused some of the animals to be in poor medical condition.
“Based on my training and experience we’re looking at weeks of feces buildup,” Bautista.
Reynoso said he expected many of the animals with medical conditions would not survive.
Bautista said the animals were housed inside different rooms in the house, in the back yard and in a shed on the driveway.
She said the investigation began when they received a complaint of animals living in unsafe conditions and interviewed Lopez and Alarcon, who provided a “concerning statement” regarding their ability to pay for the animals’ care and having an animal die from its injuries.
She said their statements prompted the agency to gather more information. Following months of investigation, Animal Care and Services obtained a search warrant March 7 to enter the house.
On Nov. 8, 2023, several agencies aided in counting and processing the animals.
Arrangements were made with Hitchcock Road Animal Services, Red Dog Ranch Animal Rescue, Cat Crew California, Joybound and other agencies with assistance in providing the necessary care and placement for the cats, according to a news release.
“We greatly appreciate the person that came forward with this tip and if you see something say something,” Bautista said. “That’s why we are here, to continue to better the welfare of our community animals and help those that are voiceless.”
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