Why did 40 cats die in a Paso Robles apartment?
November 6, 2024
Trash and cat feces in an apartment in Paso Robles
By KAREN VELIE
Animal control workers rescued six cats living in a filthy Paso Robles apartment amid the dead bodies and bones of 40 other cats, a sea of cat feces, and piles of trash. The questions are: how did the cats get into the apartment and who is responsible?
CalCoastNews interviewed the property owner, witnesses and residents regarding what investigators deemed a case of animal cruelty.
After suffering a health issue in 2020, Jackie Bryant, the owner of the Presidio Apartments, moved into an assisted living facility. Jackie Bryant then tasked her daughter Laurie Bryant with managing the apartment complex where both her daughter and son lived in adjacent units.
Bathtub full of cat feces at apartment in Paso Robles
Last October, Laurie Bryant moved into her mother’s home, though neighbors said she left most of her belongings behind. Jackie Bryant told her daughter to clean the apartment and rent it out, she said.
At first Lauri Bryant showed up daily at her former unit to feed the cats, then it was weekly or monthly, neighbors said.
In June or July, Stephan Bryant drove his mother to the Presidio Apartments to let her see for herself the condition of his sister’s former unit. Halfway up the stairs to Laurie Bryant’s apartment, the smell was overwhelming, Jackie Bryant said.
Shortly afterwards, four cats escaped through a screened window. While residents attempted to rescue the starving cats, Laurie Bryant said they belonged to her. Laurie Bryant took one of the escaped cats with her when she left that day, according to witnesses.
Following up on a complaint, on Aug. 16, SLO County Animal Services rescued the six living cats from the apartment and opened an investigation into animal cruelty.
After learning of the damage to the apartment, Jackie Bryant hired a hazmat crew to clean the unit. She said she will now need to remove and replace flooring, drywall and cabinets before she can rent the unit.
Last week, investigators asked the SLO County District Attorney’s Office to file two felony animal cruelty charges against Laurie Bryant.
In 2017, Laurie Bryant and Tribune columnist Sandee Hunt-Burns founded the Facebook page SLO County News. Bryant recently stepped down from her administrator role.
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