Streator, La Salle County and state officials Wednesday removed live and dead animals from the house of a woman who had operated an animal rescue service.

"It's pretty awful stuff," said Dr. Kim Novak, the veterinarian who took over care of the seized animals.

Officials took from the house, 813 N. Jackson St., three dogs and 13 cats. They also found one dead dog and two dead cats. The animals belonged to 22-year-old Brianna E. Lupori, who had operated Chaucer's Charity Pet Rescue.

Animal Humane Investigator Peggy Rizzo said in February 2006, that 42 cats, nine puppies and three or four adult dogs were removed from the house because of poor conditions. Lupori was permitted to keep a few cats at that time, but the pet rescue operation was shut down. Lupori had not been licensed to operate such a facility, Rizzo added.

About one month ago, Rizzo said another complaint of poor conditions at the house was reported. She went to the house, but no one was present and Rizzo could not see inside because window shades were down. Rizzo visited a few times, but no one was ever present and she could not see inside.

Rizzo noted she could smell an unpleasant odor, but thought it was a lingering odor from the February 2006 situation.

On Monday, she went again. No one was present, but the shades were up and she both saw and smelled the conditions inside the house. Rizzo said she left a notice at the door, telling Lupori she had 24 hours to contact Rizzo, but there was no reply.

On Wednesday, a search and seizure warrant was obtained with the help of the state's attorney's office. With the warrant, Rizzo, City Code Enforcement Officer Gene Otto and County Animal Control Officer Gary Wind, as well as Streator police officers and representatives from the county health department and the animal welfare unit of the state department of agriculture, entered the house about 4:20 p.m.

Rizzo said six of the cats were found in a back porch enclosure, the floor of which was covered several inches thick with cat feces and mold. A live cat, as well as two dead cats, were found beneath a bed in another part of the house. The body of one of the dead cats was petrified.

Most of the live cats had matted eyes and breathing problems, Rizzo said.

The dead dog had a plastic container stuck on its head, but the ends of the container were open, so the dog had not suffocated, Rizzo said.

No water or food was found in the house, though there were signs the animals had searched for nourishment. Water service to the house was shut off in April, Rizzo said.

The animals and dead bodies were taken to the Novak-Brainard Veterinary Clinic in Streator.

Novak speculated the animals had gone without water for a couple of days and without food for perhaps a few days longer. As an example of the starvation, Novak said one of the dogs, a great Dane, weighed 60 pounds, while such a dog should weigh at least 80 pounds.

Novak noted the fur on the rear of one cat was matted so badly the cat could not defecate. One dog had wounds from fighting.

Novak said the animals should survive and likely will be taken by area animal shelters.

"They're all very nice pets with good personalities," Novak observed.

One of the dogs was found wearing a 2007 dog tag from Musk County, Mich. Lupori signed over ownership of the seized animals, Otto said.

Otto said he cited Lupori on city ordinance charges because she had four unregistered dogs and her house was infested with bugs, had offensive odors and had inadequate sanitation. For the outside of the home, he cited her on ordinance charges for having accumulated rubbish and inadequate sanitation. Lupori is set for a hearing in city court for 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 6.

Otto added that the La Salle County State's Attorney's office is considering more serious charges. No charges had been filed as of Friday morning.

Otto noted that although the house was not inhabitable for either animals or humans, he believed Lupori still was living there. However, Rizzo said she believed Lupori was living with a relative in Streator.

In September 2005, Lupori described to The Times her effort to take in cats from a New Orleans animal shelter in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Last year, a financial lender filed foreclosure action against Lupori's house and, several months ago, a judge ordered the house to be sold to satisfy the unpaid mortgage.

Lupori has no criminal record on file in La Salle County Circuit Court. She could not be reached for comment.