Appeals court affirms conviction of Gresham cat hoarder

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of a woman who neglected more than three dozen cats at her Gresham apartment.

Terrianne Hess was sentenced to probation in 2011 after jurors convicted her of animal neglect.

Hess argued in her appeal that the Multnomah County trial judge was wrong to exclude expert testimony that Hess suffers from obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, a condition that compelled her to acquire many cats.

But the Appeals Court ruled Wednesday that the excluded testimony had no bearing on whether Hess lacked the capacity to provide care.

Hess was charged after animal control officers discovered 38 cats living in unsanitary conditions. They were underweight, anemic and flea infested. Officers also found seven dead cats, killed by a combination of anemia and starvation.