Criminal charges have been filed against a 61-year-old Brainerd-area woman accused of mistreating 30 cats — three of which were found dead — on her property in February.

Diane Jean Maalis of Crosby was charged last week with one gross misdemeanor and four misdemeanor counts of mistreating animals; public nuisance, endangering the safety of others; and for lacking proper ventilation and sanitation requirements for the cats.

The charges come months after a search warrant executed by Crosby and Deerwood police officers, three members of the Animal Humane Society and a Crosby building official on Feb. 6 at Maalis’ home.

According to the complaint, the officers smelled a strong odor of cat urine and feces when they entered the home. They noted cat feces on the floor throughout the home, a large mound behind a living room couch and inside a bathroom tub. Carpet appeared to be soaked with urine.

The body of one cat was found wedged under the bathtub, which had to be dismantled to remove the dead animal and two others that were trapped, the court document stated.

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Increased enforcement of seat belt laws in effect from Friday to Sept. 30 The search warrant had been issued after incident reports dating back to 2011 involving Maalis and complaints about her cats. Of the 27 cats turned over to the Animal Humane Society, most were unhealthily underweight. Of the 26 that could be examined, only three had an ideal body weight condition.

All the cats had irritated, painful ears consistent with a contagious ectoparasite, the document stated. Eighteen of the cats had signs of an upper-respiratory infection and all had live fleas or evidence of fleas. Five were pregnant, an Animal Humane Society veterinarian determined.

The veterinarian concluded the cats had been provided inadequate amounts of food and were overcrowded and neglected in the face of obvious medical conditions such as ear mites and fleas, according to the complaint. The situation would worsen without intervention, the vet said.

Contacted by phone Monday morning, Maalis said she knew nothing about the charges against her regarding the animals allegations. Maalis said she received a trespassing citation on her property Sunday night. She said she was at the house to check on the cats who still lived in the home.

Scott Sadusky, a Crosby building official, condemned the home Feb. 6 after the cats were seized. A sign was posted on the door of the residence stating the home was unsafe: “Interior of home not fit for habitation due to cleanliness and no running water.” The sign also warned against trespassing on the property, subject to criminal prosecution.

When asked if the charges were a surprise, Maalis said, “Nothing surprises me anymore when you get kicked off your property.”

Maalis said anyone who knows her knows she is not cruel to animals. She said she was caring for the cats as best she could.

“There was just too many, and when you have cats and they have litters and the kittens are cute — I went from first buying a 10-pound bag of food to a 15-pound bag,” Maalis said.

Maalis had said in February that she started out with just a few cats, which ended up having a few litters of kittens and “it snowballed from there.” Within two years she ended up with about 30 animals, because it was too hard to give away the kittens. She said she tried to give her cats to a farm, pet-supply company and anyone who could give them a good home.

“They were all nice cats and I fed them and took care of them,” Maalis said.

The gross misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $3,000 fine.

Maalis’ first court appearance is set for June 26 in front of Judge Kristine DeMay.