Cat missing since January reunited with owner after 92 animals rescued from Stuart home

A Stuart woman who had lost hope of ever finding her missing cat was reunited with him Wednesday after he was discovered among nearly 100 animals rescued from an alleged hoarding situation.

Linh Nguyen said her cat, Patchy, had been missing since January. Seven months later, she learned he was among the 80 cats and 12 dogs removed from the home of 77-year-old Gail Giustino.

“I feel like I got back a family member. It’s like a child to me,” Nguyen said. “Seven months. I lost all my hope. I didn’t expect to ever see him again.”

Caption: Pet Reunions Planned After Massive Martin County Animal Rescue. CBS12's Paige Meyer reports.

Nguyen was among the owners of missing pets who came to the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast on Wednesday to determine whether their animals were among those seized from Giustino’s Stuart home.

Investigators said several of the rescued animals had microchips that could be traced to their rightful owners. Before Wednesday’s reunions, deputies had connected at least five of the animals with their families.

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office arrested Giustino on Monday on two misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.

Sheriff John Budensiek said Giustino, who works as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, had apparently been collecting cats while traveling along her mail route. Authorities initially believed many of the animals were feral, but microchip scans showed that some were missing pets with owners who had been searching for them.

Deputies, animal control officers and firefighters removed approximately 80 cats and 12 dogs from Giustino’s home on Southwest Meadowlark Circle. Body-camera footage showed crews carrying animal carriers out of the house one after another.

Authorities said the home had no air conditioning and was covered in animal waste. Conditions were so severe that a HAZMAT team was called to help ventilate the house before crews could continue removing the animals.

The animals were taken to the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, where staff said many were underweight or suffering from skin conditions, hair loss, dental disease and other health problems.

Owners who believe their missing cat or dog may be among the rescued animals will have another opportunity to visit the Humane Society on Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Before visiting, owners must call the Martin County Sheriff’s Office at 772-463-3211 and file a lost-pet report. People who arrive without first filing a report will be turned away.

The remaining animals are receiving veterinary care and are not yet available for adoption. The sheriff’s office said the investigation remains ongoing.

Newly released body camera footage shows the rescue unfolding as deputies carried pet carriers out of the home one after another. Deputies, animal control officers and firefighters spent hours removing the animals from the house.

“It's really sad. It's really, really sad. But at the same time, we are very fortunate that we are in this role, when we love what we do, and so we feel like we're going to put that aside, and we're going to focus on giving these animals a fresh start, you know, a new chance at a happy life,” said Tucker.

Caption: Body Cam video reveals Massive Martin County Animal Rescue. CBS12's Paige Meyer reports.

According to the sheriff’s office, the home had no air conditioning and was covered in animal waste. Authorities said the conditions were so severe that a HAZMAT team was called in to help ventilate the home before crews could continue working inside.

Caption: This is the newly released body camera footage from the Martin County Sheriff's Office while responding to the Animal rescue and hoarding case.

The animals are now receiving care at the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast. Shelter staff say many were underweight or suffering from skin conditions, dental disease and other health problems.

“Before the animals are ready to adopt, we would give them all of their vaccines. Spay and neuter, the ones that need to be spayed or neutered. But we would just assess them, make sure that they're completely healthy,” said Fisher.

The U.S. Postal Service confirmed to CBS12 that Giustino has been employed by the agency since 1997. In a statement, USPS spokesperson Debra Jean Fetterly said, “We’re aware of the issue. Our carrier joined the Postal Service in 1997. We don’t publicly discuss personnel matters.”

See also: Florida mother reunited with child after accidental car lockout: BODYCAM

The Postal Service also said Giustino will be offered its Employee Assistance Program, a voluntary and confidential support service for employees.

The Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigation remains ongoing, and the remaining animals are not yet available for adoption.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.