New Haven Independent

Dino Cortina (pictured), 46, has been charged with four counts of animal cruelty, according to city spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga.

Police have described Cortina as a man whose love for cats spiraled out of control. His arrest stems from a shocking discovery made on March 26, when a cleaning crew found the skeletal remains of 50 cats inside a boarded-up, foreclosed-on house at 467 Quinnipiac Ave. Cortina had owned the home before it was foreclosed on. Police say he abandoned the cats there when he left the home.

The city’s anti-blight agency, which had received repeated calls and emails from neighbors about a stink coming from the house, vowed to be more proactive in following up on complaints after the cat-house debacle.

After the skeletal discoveries, police took a proactive approach and intervened in a second home in Newhallville where Cortina was allegedly hoarding 25 cats. Those cats (including the one pictured) were found curled around a space heater in one small room at 104/106 Bassett St.

Unlike their unlucky relatives across town, felines in the second cat house were found in good health. Under the coaxing of the animal control officials, Cortina agreed to give them up.

Cortina was arrested on Sunday and was later released on $5,000 bond, according to Mayorga.