Crystal, Minn. – A woman in Crystal, Minn., is racing multiple felony charges after officials found dozens of cats living in squalor at her home. According to sources, 47-year-old Shawna Maria Duffy had 124 cats living in her home on Dudley Ave. N.

The troubling situation was discovered after Plymouth police discovered illegal dumping of cat waste that happened in 2023. After setting up cameras and license plate readers near the site, officers identified a suspect. The man told officers that the feces came from the residence of his girlfriend, Shawna Duffy.

Officers went to Duffy’s home, and though she was not there, they could smell a strong odor of urine and feces coming from inside, and they could hear animals moving around.

Animal control officers returned to the residence in mid-February but were unable to make contact with Duffy. On February 27, with the use of a search warrant, officers were able to enter the home where they found Duffy and dozens cats living in deplorable conditions.

As reported by KARE News, the interior of the home was covered in urine, feces, and vomit, as well as an overwhelming stench of ammonia. Cats had clawed through the walls and were living in the crawl space, vents, and inside of the walls; the house was deemed unlivable.

Cats removed from the home were suffering from a variety of health issues, including upper respiratory infections. Dr. Graham Brayshaw with Animal Humane Society, said, “The immediate suffering you see in front of you, that can be tough, it definitely hits you emotionally when you see what happens.”

Duffy is scheduled to appear in court on April 30; she is facing 10 felony counts of animal mistreatment.

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