A Marco Island couple was arrested on June 11 after police executed a search warrant at the home of 62-year-old Olga Murphy and her 54-year-old husband, Igor Mursalimov.
Inside the residence, officers encountered unsanitary conditions. The floor of a small back "quarantine" room was reportedly covered in vomit, fecal matter, and urine. Twenty-eight cats were discovered in that room. In the living room, authorities discovered two young, live cats and a freezer containing the remains of 15 to 20 dead cats. The house was sectioned off, and in the kitchen, there were nine more cats. Four kittens were found in the front bedroom. another nine cats on the patio. All cats had access to water; however, most of the water bowls were dirty.
Detectives said the couple holds an active license to breed cats for sale. The majority, if not all, of the rescued cats were Maine Coons. In total, 57 living cats were removed from the property, many of them in poor health. A veterinarian on site worked to assess the animals, some of which were found in critical condition.
Among the most severe cases was a cat named Irene, who suffered from a ruptured eye, an injury believed to have gone untreated and now requiring surgery. Detectives said the initial investigation and physical evidence at the scene suggest the couple tormented Irene. Detectives also seized hundreds of veterinary medications labeled in Russian. Murphy signed an owner surrender form for all the cats except the four kittens. Collier County Domestic Animal Services seized the four kittens anyway.
According to a Collier County Facebook post, the operation was a combined effort by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Collier County Domestic Animal Services, Collier County Code Enforcement Animal Control Division, and the Marco Island Police Department. The post also included a statement from Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk:
“I’m proud of the swift action our detectives and partners took to remove these animals from an unhealthy environment so they can get the necessary care,” Rambosk said. “Animal cruelty has no place in Collier County, and we will continue to work aggressively to hold offenders accountable.”
Murphy and Mursalimov were taken into custody and face felony charges of animal cruelty. In addition, each was charged with 28 misdemeanor counts of confinement of animals, one count for each cat discovered inside the "quarantine room." All 28 cats were suffering from untreated medical conditions.
The couple made their first appearance in court Thursday, where their bonds were set at $20,000. They remain in the Collier County Jail. The investigation remains ongoing.
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