Published: February 22, 2008 11:00 pm      

Man gets probation in cat abandonment

BEULAH -- A judge sentenced a man to probation after he left more than 60 cats to starve and die in his former home.

Todd Joseph Bukowiecki, 39, on Thursday pleaded no contest to a single count of animal cruelty and was sentenced to two years of probation.

Benzie County Prosecutor Anthony Cicchelli dropped an identical charge against a woman who lived in the home, Jane Ellen Bishoff, as part of Bukowiecki's plea deal, a court spokeswoman said.

Bukowiecki is not allowed to own or possess any animals as part of his sentence.

Bukowiecki and Bishoff initially were charged with 10 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty after authorities responded to a complaint in June and discovered the cats in their former house at 14810 Brownell Road.

Many cats were dead or dying, and some fed on the animals that died in the feces-ridden residence.

A judge threw out the initial charges because Benzie County sheriff's deputies searched the residence without a warrant.