Crews Tear Down Stinky House Once Occupied By Cat Hoarder

VERNON HILLS, Ill. (CBS) -- The former home of a Vernon Hills cat hoarder has been torn down, after year of complaints that it stunk up the entire neighborhood.

As WBBM Newsradio' Dave Berner reports, it all began on Thursday, when an excavator tore away at the house at 80 Brook Hill Lane. It has been empty since it was declared uninhabitable by village inspectors last August, the Daily Herald reports.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Dave Berner reports

The house reeked of cat urine and feces, to the point where legal action was taken against the homeowner, Lisa Sliwa, the Daily Herald reported.

In 2004, animal control workers came to the house and removed roughly 130 cats, almost half of which were euthanized. It took animal control workers more than 34 days to get all the cats out of the home.

The woman who owned the cats, Lisa Sliwa, remained in the house.

When the odor complaints began piling up last year, Sliwa said she was in compliance with a rule that she cannot own more than three animals, and said she is being harassed, the Daily Herald reported.

She also said she couldn't smell anything.

But neighbors said they could smell plenty. One neighbor said she couldn't open her windows or use her backyard deck because of the stench, the Daily Herald reported.

The Daily Herald said the members of the excavation crew said the smell was still overwhelming, and some had to wear masks while working.

On Friday morning, all that remained were the foundation and the fireplace chimney.

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• Dave Berner
• Vernon Hills