Woman arrested after more than 70 cats found dead in Kennewick apartment
May 22, 2026, 3:50 PM | Updated: 3:50 pm
Stock image of activated lights atop a police vehicle. (MyNorthwest file photo)
(MyNorthwest file photo)
Police arrested a woman after more than 70 cats were found dead in her apartment in Kennewick, according to NonStop Local.
Law enforcement found 71 dead cats and seven still alive at the Clearwater Bay Apartments.
A man allegedly found a live cat in a bag on the woman’s porch, NonStop Local reported.
Animal control and police were alerted, and the woman was arrested.
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The woman allegedly said she found the cats already dead and planned to dispose of them. As for the cat in the bag, she reportedly said it was making too much noise.
Tri-Cities Animal Services described the apartment as a “typical hoarder house,” to NonStop Local.
“There is stuff piled up inside, covering the floor, including animal feces, garbage, debris. Just making it difficult to be in there with the smell and everything,” Ben Zigan, a spokesperson for the Tri-Cities Animal Services, told the media outlet.
A responding officer said the apartment is “worse than you can imagine,” according to NonStop Local.
The investigation is ongoing, but the woman is facing an animal cruelty charge.
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