Officials at the duplex this week -photo courtesy KC Pet Project
KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas City couple was charged Thursday in municipal court with failing to adequately care for nearly 270 small animals seized from their duplex earlier this week.
Mikabel Montero, 24, and Natasha Marie Acosta, 21, were charged with three counts of animal cruelty alleging they provided inadequate care and allowed an offensive odor to emanate from their duplex.
The animals removed Monday from the two-bedroom duplex were living in “deplorable” conditions, the Neighborhood and Housing Services said.
Montero said Thursday he would fight the violation that said he didn't provide enough water for the animals, contending he refilled their water two or three times a day.
“I accept what I’m guilty for or anything that went wrong here,” Montero said, noting he was cleaning his apartment in the hopes of purchasing back some of his pets. “I just had too many.”
Nearly 220 of the almost 270 taken in by the KC Pet Project animal shelter were rats. Other animals included geckos, rabbits, turtles, hamsters and guinea pigs, as well as others.
Dozens of the animals have already been adopted, placed into a foster care program or picked up by animal rescue groups.