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Donald Cruickshank, 77, outside North Shore District Court. - Source: Fairfax
A mob of felines seized from an Auckland man who allegedly kept dead cats in his freezer is costing the SPCA $3500 a week to keep in foster care.
Donald Cruickshank, 77, and his friend Tatyana Kondratyeva, 48, are charged with animal cruelty, for failing to care for their animals and not ensuring they received medical attention.
When the SPCA raided Cruickshank's house in December 2010, they allegedly found dozens of live cats living in filthy conditions and 38 dead ones in a freezer.
After laying charges, SPCA took 50 of the live cats into care, where they remain due to delays in hearing the case.
Cruickshank, a self-professed cat lover, appeared in the North Shore District Court yesterday for what was supposed to be a two-day hearing.
He was prepared to defend the allegations himself, bringing a plastic container of files and a friend to help him understand what was going on. Cruickshank has hearing difficulties.
However, Kondratyeva did not show because she was sick.
Prosecution lawyer Todd Simmonds argued strongly that the case still go ahead - asking the defence to try to persuade its client to turn up tomorrow - because of concern about the cats' welfare.
The ongoing cost to the SPCA to care for the 49 cats - one had been put down - was about $3500 per week, for board, food and medicine, Simmonds said.
"They cannot be released or go outside ... Because a number of them are feral. If they were released, they won't be seen again," he said.
"It's not in these animals' best interests that they be kept in these conditions for any longer."
However, while the judge said he was mindful of the SPCA's concerns, the matter had to be adjourned until Kondratyeva could attend.
It will be called again in mid March.
Cruickshank said in court yesterday he still wants to argue his case. It was earlier reported he kept the dead cats in the freezer because he did not have time to bury them in coffins.
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