Former Latrobe woman facing animal cruelty charges

A former Latrobe woman is facing animal cruelty charges after city police said she left 24 cats in an abandoned home.

In July, police responded to the Spring Street home and found the felines in deplorable conditions with no food or water, according to court papers. Some of the cats were in cages and others were roaming around the house or shut in two rooms, police said.

Ninth Life Rescue Center removed 24 cats from the home. They suffered from a multitude of health issues, including ear mites, rotting teeth, pneumonia, yeast infections and ear infections, according to court papers.

The founder of the rescue told police she previously talked with Kristine Pfeffer, 42, now of Mt. Pleasant Township, about removing the cats. Pfeffer stopped responding after the founder asked for photographs of the felines and repeatedly tried to contact her, according to court papers.

She is facing 96 counts of neglect of animals and animal cruelty. Charges were sent by summons last week. Pfeffer did not have an attorney listed in online court records. A preliminary hearing is set for April 10.

Ninth Life Rescue Center accepts donations through PayPal, Venmo, CashApp and Facebook, according to its website. The organization has wish lists on Chewy and Amazon.