A Windham woman has been summonsed for animal cruelty after dozens of cats were found living in poor conditions at her Barnes Road home, according to Windham police.

Officer Barry Kelly said Melissa Harmon, 41, of 49 Barnes Road in South Windham, was issued summonses Oct. 20 for harboring 60-75 cats, some of which have already been removed from the property and are under medical care at the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland in Westbrook. The case is being referred to the Attorney General’s Office.

Kelly said neighbors first notified authorities in May of about 15 nuisance cats that were roaming the neighborhood, giving birth in sheds and defecating in dirt driveways.

Jennifer Howlett, district humane officer with the Maine Animal Welfare Program, responded to neighbors’ complaints in May and gave Harmon a warning to rein in her cats. Through the state’s Help Fix ME voucher program, which helps animal owners on public assistance with veterinary costs, Harmon was given coupons to have the 15 or so animals spayed and neutered.

But when Howlett returned to the residence in early October, prompted by additional neighborhood complaints, she found about 60-75 cats roaming the neighborhood. According to Norma Worley, director of the state’s animal welfare program, Harmon had failed to use the vouchers and was not properly caring for or feeding the animals.

“Cats were everywhere,” said Kelly, who assisted Howlett with the cat seizure. “It was a health risk, they were using people’s driveways down there as litter boxes. You’d drive down there and it smelled awful.”

What started as 15 cats quickly grew in number as the cats, with gestation periods of 63 days, reproduced quickly through the summer. Kelly, who is filling in temporarily as Windham’s animal control officer, said the number of cats would have exceeded 100 by Christmas if authorities hadn’t stepped in. Six of the 25 seized cats were pregnant, she said.

Most of the cats were living outside of the home, said Toni McLellan, director of operations for the Animal Rescue League. McLellan said Harmon couldn’t afford the food to feed all the animals, but that Harmon was cooperating with authorities regarding the case.

So far, authorities have been able to round up about 25 of the cats using traps set out in the neighborhood. Those cats, most of which were malnourished, infested with fleas and showing signs of upper respiratory infections, have been brought to the Animal Refuge League for rehabilitation.

“It can be a snowballing effect. The owners can’t afford to fix the cats and they keep having kittens. I’m not sure the reasons behind this case, but it is a common occurrence here in Maine. The owners can get overwhelmed pretty quickly,” Worley said.

Already overwhelmed by a deluge of animals at its facility in Westbrook, the Animal Refuge League is encouraging the public to help with providing new homes for the rescued cats from Windham.

“Our need for foster families is great, as is our need for donations. The budget is already stretched to the limit,” said McLellan.

McLellan said the public can get involved in three ways. First, the league is in need of monetary donations, which help with providing vaccines and paying for the salaries of the employees. Second, with the expected influx of the cats from Windham, temporary foster families are needed to provide care for the cats once they’ve been attended to medically.

Lastly, the 180 or so cats already at the rescue facility plus “all of these cats and kittens (from Windham) will be up for adoption in the weeks and months ahead,” McLellan said. Loving families, therefore, are needed.

Toni McLellan, director of operations for the Animal Rescue League, holds one of the cats rounded up from a Windham home. Malnourished, infested with fleas and showing signs of upper respiratory infections, the animals are recouperating at the Westbrook shelter. (Staff photo by John Balentine)