Dark turn for SoCal animal rescue: 500 cats, living and dead, seized by authorities

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Set us as preferred There was no public indication that things weren’t going well at the nonprofit known as Furget Me Not Purebred Cat Rescue.For years, the Pomona-based organization showcased its work on Facebook, posting photos of new cat owners, rescue operations and the faces of cats and kittens it had saved.But that sunny image took a dark turn Monday as authorities executed search warrants at properties tied to the nonprofit as part of an “animal welfare investigation.”Authorities said they searched a home and two commercial properties in Claremont and Upland, seizing hundreds of cats, including some that were malnourished.Additionally, they recovered multiple animal remains from a freezer and a yard.Nikole Bresciani, president and chief executive officer of the Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA, said officers seized 405 cats and 119 cremated animal remains.She said an additional 28 dead cats were found in a freezer, while two others were buried in the backyard of a home where animal bones were also recovered.“There’s multiple animals that were buried back there,” Bresciani said.

“But we can’t say for sure how many.”She said most of the remains were located at the home and commercial property in Claremont.Additionally, she said, four cats and nine dogs were seized, though she did not say if they were taken from the home.In a written statement, the Upland Police Department said it assisted animal services officers with search warrants at two animal facilities in the 1800 block of West 11th Street.“Credible information was received indicating that many of the cats were sick, malnourished and in need of medical attention,” the statement read.Bresciani said the search warrants stemmed from weeks of investigative work.

“We coordinated with Upland so that we were serving the search warrants on th...