Who is Gail Giustino? Martin County postal worker, 77, arrested for hoarding 80 cats, 12 dogs she collected along route

A 77-year-old woman, Gail Giustino, was arrested by authorities in Martin County after they discovered more than 80 caged cats and 12 dogs inside her home, WPTV reported. In a press conference held Monday afternoon in Stuart’s Foxwood community, Sheriff John Budensiek referred to the situation as the worst case of animal hoarding he has seen in Martin County, Florida .Who is Gail Giustino? Martin County postal worker, 77, arrested for hoarding 80 cats, 12 dogs she collected along route (Martin County Sheriff's Office)Who is Gail Giustino?Giustino had worked for the postal service and had allegedly been collecting feral cats along her route. According to Budensiek, animal control had tried to access the house over the past week. However, they were unable to do so because the homeowner was uncooperative.Also Read | Tsunami the Border Collie: Abandoned & abused as a pup, this dog helped save several lives during Venezuela earthquakesGiustino has been arrested on two misdemeanor charges.“Do we want to arrest a 77-year-old lady? The answer is absolutely not,” the sheriff said, according to CTV News. “We truly believe that Gail thinks she’s doing the right thing, but she’s doing the wrong thing, and we have arrested her for two misdemeanors. The goal of arresting her was to be able to seize the animals to save them.”"There is no air conditioning… the stench was unreal," Budensiek said, per WPTV. "We're talking about in some places a foot of animal feces in that house.”The animals were rushed to the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast in Hobe Sound.Also Read | ‘Love and a second chance’: This abused pooch's stunning transformation will make your day | WatchThe cats were severely dehydrated, and most were missing fur, possibly from stress-induced over-grooming. The dogs suffered from dental disease. Three of them are quarantined with kennel cough."I have a phenomenal team that stayed until 1 o'clock in the morning to make sure that these animals all had exams done, vaccinations… Everybody was set up in a clean bed with fresh food and water," Lori Tucker of the shelter said.The shelter said that since the news surfaced, they have been getting calls from people offering to adopt or foster the animals. The public can now help by dropping off wet cat food or towels at the shelter, or even donating online to help cover the cats and dogs’ medical expenses.The animals, however, are not yet available for adoption for fostering, Humane Society of the Treasure Coast said in a Facebook post.“HSTC has taken in 12 dogs and 80 cats from the Martin County Sheriff's Office rescue operation yesterday. We are assessing and monitoring the animals, scanning them for microchips, and providing them with medical treatment and appropriate care during this open police investigation,” it said.“Our priority is the well-being of these animals and reuniting any pets with their owners. Please direct all questions to the sheriff’s office or file a lost pet report by calling (772) 220-7000,” the post added.