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CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - A Cleveland woman who cared for and opened her home to hundreds of animals - including pigeons, cats and dogs - has been ordered by the city to have her house clean by today.
This, after a meeting was held Monday afternoon between 71-year-old Katarina Kraljevic and her family, the Health Department and the Building and Housing Department. The family has agreed the home needs cleaned and is aware of the Wednesday deadline.
The family will be in touch with health department officials.
Authorities took 71-year-old Kraljevic to the hospital last Friday and gave her a soft deadline to clean up her house on East 51st after finding it full of pigeons and cats.
The Cleveland Health Department posted a nuisance order on the front door of the home. Neighbors tell 19 Action News that the only "nuisance" is that the city left the home empty with nobody to take care of the pets.
According to neighbors, Kraljevic was a kind-hearted animal lover and everyone around her knew it. Animals would be dropped off at her home because they knew she would take care of them. Neighbors also said all of the animals were spade or neutered.
Inside the home, officials found rodents, feces and cock roaches along with at least one dead animal. Some of the animals were removed and taken into animal protection custody.
Kraljevic has lived in the home for the past 40-years.
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