A Lapeer County woman faces animal cruelty charges after more than 100 cats, alive and dead, were removed from her home.
Emily Karolski, 41, was arraigned Monday on charges in connection with the discovery of the animals. She is charged with animal cruelty to 25 or more animals and animal burial, according to a court complaint.
Lapeer County Prosecutor John D. Miller said 28 cats were rescued by the county’s Animal Control Department.
A judge gave Karolski a $2,500 bond and scheduled her next court hearing for July 17.
Karolski’s attorney, Stephan Manko, was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday.
Authorities said the animals were discovered at the defendant’s Dryden Township home on May 10, 2026.
Township police were called to the home after a package delivery driver reported that a stench coming from the house made them think that a person had died inside it, Miller said. The driver said he could smell the odor from 150 feet away from the house.
Officers conducting a welfare check looked through a window and saw about a dozen dead cats on a kitchen counter, the county prosecutor said.
He said police began searching for the home’s owner but discovered she was not home.
Firefighters were called to help police officers get inside the home, Miller said. First responders entered, but immediately had to leave after becoming dizzy and developing headaches, he said. After donning respirators, they were able to venture into the home, according to the prosecutor.
He said animal control officers were at the home for three days to rescue cats and remove the deceased animals.
Officials added that three of the cats have tested positive for feline leukemia, which is terminal and highly contagious.
Karolski’s case is among the most recent involving multiple animals being found at a home.
Last week, a Warren woman accused of neglecting two dozen animals at her home was ordered to stand trial on a cruelty charge.
In March, more than 200 animals, many of them dead, were removed from a St. Clair County home.
A husband and wife were also charged in March with felonies after authorities said they found dozens of sick and injured animals at their Flint Township home. The two remain at large.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: More than 100 cats, many dead, removed from Lapeer County home
Reporting by Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
