37 cats, four of which were dead, have been removed from a home in Vila Nova de Gaia where they were being kept in squalor (the GNR’s description being “serious hygiene and sanitation deficiencies”),A 55-year-old man at the property has been cited as a formal suspect on suspicion of the crimes of killing and mistreating pet animals. In a statement cited by SIC Notícias, the police force says that as part of an investigation officers found the cats “in a residence, in excessive numbers and in an environment with serious hygiene and sanitation deficiencies”. The operation was reinforced by a team from the Environmental Crimes and Administrative Offences Investigation Unit, a team from the Nature and Environment Protection Service (SEPNA) of Vila Nova de Gaia, with the collaboration of three technicians from the Local Health Delegation, the Municipal Veterinary Authority, a team from the Gaia Municipal Kennel (PATA) and the MIDAS Animal Protection Association. The man meantime has been ordered to remain living at his home address, for authorities to ensure that he remains contactable for any future prosecution. Source: SIC NOtícias