- Video shows dead cats, dumped trash, and footage of Giles finding the cats
- Yesenia Giles found 13 dead cats in east Bakersfield while feeding stray animals one morning. After reporting the incident, officers said they weren't able to track down who dumped the cats.
This stretch of Muller Road has become a dumping site for trash items like paint cans and kitty litter, but these aren’t the only items dumped out here.
One local Bakersfield woman found something she said left her in shock.
An oil barrel on the side of the road seemed unusual for Yesenia Giles who spent her Friday morning feeding local strays.
“I saw a barrel, and it seemed somewhat out of place to me, and I did see something furry sticking out so I went to go see,” Giles said.
After crossing the street to investigate, she found a number of dead cats pouring out from the barrel.
“I was in shock," she said. "There’s a lot of shocking things out here, but that in particular. 12 cats. Somebody hurt them. Somebody did that on purpose to them.”
After reporting the incident to Kern County Animal Control, officers picked up a total of 13 dead cats on November 19th.
“I’ve never seen 13 cats that were in a barrel dumped on the side of the road like that. Never, I’ve never seen it,” Nick Cullen, the public information officer with Kern County Animal Services said.
Cullen said after examination the cats showed no signs of trauma, but they were dumped in a secluded area, a popular spot for dumping trash, making it more difficult to find out what lead to their death.
“It’s always tough to try to be able track down who might have done that, especially when they’re in a remote area,” Cullen explained.
If someone was found responsible for killing an animal, penalties include up to three years in state prison or a fine up to $20,000 or both.
Cullen says there’s other options.
People can turn in their animals to the animal shelter to prevent crimes like this.
"I know that sometimes some folks consider cats a nuisance. I don’t, but there’s solutions, and there’s much more viable solutions, much more humane solutions,” he offered.
After multiple calls, district two supervisor Zack Scrivner in charge of this area failed to return my requests for an interview to address the dumped trash and dead cats in the area.
Dumping pets is a problem gradually worsening in Kern county according to Giles since she began feeding strays over a year ago.
She wants to see more spay and neuter resources and for community members to ask for help with relocating their animals.
“I would like more people to say something. If they see something suspicious, to report it right away,” Giles said.
You can report instances of animal cruelty on the Kern County Animal Services website.
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