Provincial police say officers were forced to break into a home in Orillia, Ont., on Wednesday after a neighbour reported a “strong smell” emanating from inside the house.
At around 1 p.m., officers were dispatched to a home on Carlton Street and soon discovered an extensive amount of pet food outside the house, according to a police release.
OPP say the officers made several attempts to reach someone before they forced entry into the home.
Once inside, police called in Orillia fire, who used hazmat suits to explore the house.
A police spokesperson told Global News that there was no one inside the home, but there were several animals in need of attention and Animal Services was called in.
The spokesperson was unable to provide the exact number of animals that were inside the home but did say many were cats and that a number of them had died.