PLYMOUTH, Wis. — Cody Allen Freeman, 33, is facing 20 charges related to animal mistreatment after police found feces and urine throughout his Plymouth apartment and rescued five cats on Sunday.
Watch John Kim's report in the video player below:
According to Plymouth police, officers responded to an apartment building on Appleton Street, where conditions inside one of the units required them to wear specialized protective equipment.
Carla Andrade, who lives in the apartment directly above Freeman's unit, said she began noticing a strange odor coming from downstairs.
"The bad smell ... was noticeable that day. Well, it was definitely cat-related, Andrade said.
She said the smell became so strong that she grew concerned about her grandson, who lives with her.
"We sent a message to the apartment owner because there was an offensive odor reaching all the way up here. It smelled really bad," Andrade said.
Andrade said she had noticed cat food and litter around the building but had no idea five cats were living in the unit below hers. She recalled telling her daughter that the odor smelled like a dead cat.
She hopes the incident serves as a reminder of the responsibility that comes with pet ownership.
"I think that if you have animals, it’s to take care of them. And if you can’t take care of them, well, then don’t have them," Andrade said.
According to the Wisconsin Court records, Freeman has pleaded not guilty and was evicted from his apartment on Monday.
The court also ordered Freeman not to own or care for animals. Freeman is scheduled to return to the Sheboygan County Courthouse for his pre-trial conference on Nov. 16.
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