Ohio man charged with cruelty after 166 cats taken from his home

GAHANNA, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio man has been charged with animal cruelty after 166 cats were taken from a home where 55 other felines were found dead.

The Columbus Dispatch reports 60-year-old Daniel Slyby, of Gahanna, must post a $64,000 bond by Dec. 30 or his cats will be permanently forfeited to a Columbus animal welfare organization.

Slyby was charged with 11 counts of animal cruelty Wednesday in Franklin County Municipal Court.

Columbus Humane, which conducts animal cruelty investigations, says the cats were found living in deplorable conditions when they were removed from Slyby’s home last week.

All but one of the cats is receiving care at Columbus Humane’s shelter. One cat had to be euthanized.

Slyby’s attorney, Tony Clymer, said today his client denies having treated his cats cruelly.