Man held on animal cruelty charges
Stench coming from Calhoun’s Everett home overpowered investigating trooper
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A Bedford man is behind bars on animal cruelty charges after state police following up on a report of animal cruelty found the Wilkins Road, Everett, home to be the most "bio hazardous residence" ever encountered by the seasoned trooper writing the report.
The officer, who has been a state police trooper for 10 years, said in the report that he had never entered a residence such as the one he entered on Jan. 2 in Bedford County.
As a result of the investigation, police arrested and charged Matthew Robert Calhoun, 40, with
37 felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals - torture, as well as 37 misdemeanor counts each of neglect of animals and cruelty to animals.
He was arraigned Tuesday afternoon before Magisterial District Judge Wendy R. Mellott. In lieu of $15,000 bail, Calhoun was remanded to the Bedford County Correctional Facility. His preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 15 in Bedford County Central Court.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Bedford County Children and Youth Services had checked on the condition of the home on the 400 block of Wilkins Road in West Providence Township.
CYS found the home was not fit for the newborn baby belonging to a woman who lived at the home before giving birth to her child.
CYS contacted state police about the number of cats living in the home in "abhorrent conditions," the report states.
Police, along with Bedford County District Attorney Ashlan Clark arrived on scene shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday, where the odor of ammonia, urine and fecal matter could be smelled through the door, court documents state.
The trooper reported that the sound of the cats' feet in the home sounded like rain, due to the number of cats moving around the residence.
Calhoun answered the door and police could see a layer of filth and fecal matter on the floor. Police received permission to enter the home and, when the door was opened, police were "greeted with a two-foot-tall wave of exiting cats," the report states.
While the trooper could see the residence had fecal matter all over the floor and furniture, he had to back out of the home due to the "exceedingly strong" smell of ammonia.
Police then applied for and received a search warrant for the home.
Despite wearing a dust mask, the trooper reported the smell was so overpowering it was difficult to enter the home. The ammonia burned his eyes and he struggled to keep them open due to the pain. "The chemical composition within the air was caustic," the trooper reported, noting his throat and lungs burned after a brief walk-through.
Everything within the residence where a cat could jump on or make contact with was covered in fecal matter and urine. In some places, the fecal matter was about a foot deep, the report states, and there was a consistent layer of one to three inches of fecal matter and urine on the floor.
There was a path through the house where the fecal matter was compacted down and was the only way of moving through the home, the trooper reported. There were also massive piles of fecal matter in several locations within the two-story home, the report states.
The trooper reported that he had to leave the home due to the toxic environment.
Calhoun told police he did not have any cat food.
Police returned to the home on Friday, along with a volunteer from the Bedford County Humane Society. At that time, the volunteer opened up cans of cat food outside and all of the outside cats gathered.
Calhoun voluntarily surrendered 34 cats that day, police reported, noting the cats appeared to be underweight and some looked to be suffering from disease.
Police returned again to the home on Tuesday, where Calhoun did not open the door to talk with officers and the humane society. Three cats could be seen still inside the home, the report states.
Police then requested and received a warrant for Calhoun's arrest and took him into custody.