Recently a resident of the Village of Elmwood Place, Ohio (a suburb of Cincinnati), contacted the local government with a complaint about stray cats taking up ‘home’ in an abandoned house in Elmwood Place.

The front window of the house is broke and stray cats drag their ‘hunt’ of the day thru the window, apparently to feed younger cats.

Elmwood Place was informed that residents have had their garbage scattered, and in at least one case the lids of the garbage cans have been chewed thru, by cats trying to obtain food. Residents say The Village of Elmwood Place has had a cat population problem for many years.

No action was taken by the Village of Elmwood Place officials. Next the resident reached out to the local Hamilton County SPCA.

Since the Village of Elmwood Place is in Hamilton County it seemed like the next avenue to take, after all the SPCA web site states in their mission that “We turn no animal away. We are advocates for animals…speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves. We provide programs and services that encourage the bond between animals and people. We offer refuge, medical care, nourishment and a second chance for homeless animals. We protect animals from cruelty, neglect, carelessness, ignorance and irresponsibility.”

Providing the address of the abandoned house and a description of the conditions there, the Hamilton County SPCA responded with “This is one for the board of health.  We do not respond to feral cat complaints unless they have been injured.  However, the board of health may call us for assistance after their evaluation of the site.”

So for the residents in this Ohio neighborhood, it seems that there is true taxation without representation. Taxes paid by these homeowners in these communities help fund many Village and County projects. There is no way to tell if the animals inside this home are ‘injured’ or even dead. Residents say that the Village has removed numerous bags containing a number of dead cats from the residence and from the property in the past.

Maybe some relief will come to this small neighborhood once the value of all the homes fall to a non acceptable amount for the local governments’ tax coffers; or until it can be proven these horrible conditions are a health hazard or the local SPCA does what they advertise they do.

Residents say the smell from the house last summer was unbearable; so this summer they can only hope it is not a breeding ground for disease for neighborhood children and pets.