VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A Virginia woman accused of having more than 100 dead and sick animals in her home has been convicted of multiple animal cruelty charges.
Lisa Hokaj-Ross, 53, pleaded guilty to the 24 counts on Tuesday.
Court documents show Animal Control officers executed a search warrant at Hokaj-Ross’s Virginia Beach home last spring, where they had conducted similar searches and discovered dead and live animals in the past.
The documents say that in the most recent case, 23 sick cats had to be euthanized and dozens of other dead animals, including kittens, squirrels and possums were found in freezers.
The Stipulation of Commonwealth's Evidence paints a grim picture of the scene - describing dead animals found in the residence's refrigerator, freezer, and in plastic bags in the garage. Some of the bagged animals were so decomposed that investigators could not determine what species they were.
Court documents say the smell of urine could be detected from across the street. The house, on Spindle Crossing, was later condemned.
"A measure of the air quality in the residence by Virginia Beach Fire Department Hazmat Team revealed that the ammonia levels were such that no one should be in the residence for more than 15 minutes without a respirator," the summary reads.
Hokaj-Ross has not been sentenced yet, but court documents say whatever her criminal penalty, she is not allowed to own companion animals at any time in the next 10 years. She's banned from all animal shelters and rescues in the state of Virginia.
The 53-year-old is also barred from renting or leasing property to people with pets, or allowing pet-owning guests to live on her property. Hokaj-Ross is not allowed to feed stray animals.
She's been ordered to seek psychological or mental health treatment, and disclose the details of this court case to her physician.
Court documents say she must also allow animal control to visit her home on an unannounced, regular basis, to determine that she hasn't violated any parts of the "no animals" order.
