Woman charged with misdemeanor animal abuse

A Jefferson City woman was charged with one count of misdemeanor animal abuse after 41 animals were rescued from her residence Thursday.
Carolyn Goyda, 58, is charged with failure to provide adequate care for the animals, according to court documents.
A Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statement said officers with the Community Action Team responded to Goyda's residence on East Ashley Street to assist in serving a search warrant. The warrant had been issued because of a number of complaints going back to 2015 about code enforcement issues and concerns about "an excessive number of animals at or within the residence."
Animal control officers captured 40 cats and one dog and were unable to catch 10 or more additional cats.
"We found it difficult to step more than two steps without stepping in cat feces," according to the report. "The only food seen was on a mattress in one bedroom. There was also a bowl of water that did not have sufficient water for all the animals."
A veterinarian from the Jefferson City Animal Shelter was called to the scene and determined several of the cats showed signs of respiratory infections.
When later questioned, Goyda was surprised when officers told her they found approximately 50 cats; she thought she only had 30 cats.
Authorities were able to verify Goyda had taken one cat to the University of Missouri for examination on June 18, but school officials said they had no record of vaccinations for any of her animals.
Goyda also said she took several of her cats to a veterinary clinic in Jefferson City, but officials at the clinic said they had not seen Goyda since October 2015.
Jefferson City officials issued an abatement order at the home in December 2015, leading to the removal of trash and junked vehicles outside the home. The release from the JCPD notes "the complaints at the time included junk at the residence, along with strong odors and obvious lack of upkeep."