Clearwater Police arrested a Largo man after more than 20 cats, some dead, were found inside his vehicle in a parking lot.
According to arrest affidavits, officers made contact with Patrick Thomas Haumann, 39, on September 29, 2025, around 5:15 p.m. outside a Starbucks at 1600 McMullen Booth Road. Police had received a report of animals inside a silver Ford Focus matching his description.
When questioned, Haumann told officers that he was caring for several cats while his girlfriend was moving. He admitted the cats had been inside the vehicle for at least one day.
Officers observed kittens confined in a small cage on the front passenger seat. The cage was covered in feces, and the animals appeared malnourished. A strong odor of cat manure was noted inside the vehicle. Haumann later acknowledged the cats had been kept inside the car for two to three days.
Additional cages were found in the back of the vehicle. Officers reported seeing the skeletal remains of at least two cats in one of the cages, which was also covered in feces.
Haumann was arrested and charged with two counts of felony animal cruelty and one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty.
Haumann’s girlfriend told investigators that the cats had been in his care since September 3 and that she last saw them alive and in good condition on September 22.
The case remains under investigation.