CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – An Orange Park woman was arrested Wednesday after 22 cat corpses were found in her home, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office.
Betty Armstrong, 70, is charged with aggravated animal cruelty.
A lieutenant with the Sheriff's Office told News4Jax Thursday that the cats had been left in an Edson Drive home with no water and no food for months.
Animal control officers made the discovery earlier this week while responding to a complaint of excessive cat activity at the home, the lieutenant said.
Neighbors said they do not believe Armstrong lived inside of the inside the house off Blanding Boulevard with the dead animals, but at a hotel.
Beth Dukes, who lives next door, told News4Jax Friday that the odor was so overwhelming that she didn't want to come outside.
"During the summer, especially, there's a smell. She has no heat and air, so it gets worse in the summer. Cats are everywhere. They're in my yard. They're in the other neighbors' yards. They have kittens in my carport," Dukes said. "I knew that there were live cats everywhere. I had no idea about dead cats in the house. As soon as he (police) said that, I said, 'Oh, God, that's an episode of 'Hoarders.'"
That's just half of what neighbors have been dealing with for years, Dukes said. She and other residents said they called animal control to complain that stray cats were lingering in the neighborhood because Armstrong would feed them and leave food outdoors.
"I've actually called Clay County a couple times, and they told me cats are not considered a dangerous, nuisance animal and that she's allowed to feed as many cats as she wanted to," Dukes said.
Others said they don't believe their neighbor meant any harm, adding Armstrong loved cats and just wanted to help.
"That's her lifestyle. She wanted to help the cats and she's getting older, so, I mean, it might have gotten overwhelming for her," said neighbor Elijah Lowery.
Armstrong was booked Wednesday into the Clay County Jail, deputies said, but has since been released after posting bond. According to neighbors, Armstrong showed up on the street Friday and admitted to them that she had stopped feeding the cats inside her home.