BIRMINGHAM, Mich. (WXYZ) — Records and photos obtained from the City of Birmingham show city officials documented a mountain of trash and a strong odor of urine going back to February 2019 outside a home on Chapin Street.
They were responding to two complaints from neighbors.
In April of this year, according to an internal email, Police would look into the windows and saw evidence of cat hoarding. City officials never went inside.
The owner of that home, Diane Pitone moved out after her house exploded with a natural gas leak in May of this year. She is now charged with animal neglect after allegedly creating cases of cat hoarding with some 200 cats in two homes in St. Joseph County.
A call to her attorney was not returned.
Doug Kulhman is the Zoning Administrator in Park Township dealing with one of the new cases.
He tells 7 Action News, “Jim, I hate to throw darts at other agencies.”
He says that home is owned by Pitone’s father who is cooperating, but that house is still not cleaned up.
“I’m taking it one day at a time hoping for the best so we can get the neighbors in the area to be able to live a lifestyle without smelling this horrific smell,” he says.
Kuhlman says the father has told investigators he did not know his daughter was bringing so many cats.
The second case is in the town of Three Rivers at the home of a friend of Pitone, who is also cooperating.
Kuhlman tells 7 Action News there was plenty of information for Birmingham officials to go inside the house.
He says, “I hate to throw anybody under the bus that they’re not doing the job. But, I think it’s quite apparent that if this case had been down here in my jurisdiction, I would have taken some more aggressive action.”
Birmingham City Manager Joe Valentine would not answer specific questions but said in an email to 7 Action News:
In response to your question regarding Reports to the city in February, our code enforcement visited the home and issued a Code violation for trash complaints. In April they received complaints of cats and trash and the homeowner was issued a violation. They returned a week later and the trash was cleaned up and the cats were being relocated. This was in process when the home exploded.
St. Joseph Animal Control is overwhelmed nursing some 200 cats back to good health and looking for homes.
If you’d like to help with funding or adoption, contact Doug Kuhlman municipalzoning@gmail.com.
People can donate online to help the 200 cats in St. Joseph County Animal Control through that county's United Way.
Click on this link to make an online donation and type in CAT RESCUE: https://opcs.unitedeway.org/Cng/ClickAndGive.aspx?fdn=24485&cngCampaign=CNGUWW
