There was no public indication that things weren\u2019t going well at the nonprofit known as Furget Me Not Purebred Cat Rescue.<\/p>\n
For years, the Pomona-based organization<\/a> showcased its work on Facebook<\/a>, posting photos of new cat owners, rescue operations and the faces of cats and kittens it had saved.<\/p>\n But that sunny image took a dark turn Monday as authorities executed search warrants at properties tied to the nonprofit as part of an \u201canimal welfare investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n Authorities said they searched a home and two commercial properties in Claremont and Upland, seizing hundreds of cats, including some that were malnourished. Additionally, they recovered multiple animal remains from a freezer and a yard.<\/p>\n Nikole Bresciani, president and chief executive officer of the Inland Valley Humane Society & SPCA, said officers seized 405 cats and 119 cremated animal remains.<\/p>\n She said an additional 28 dead cats were found in a freezer, while two others were buried in the backyard of a home where animal bones were also recovered.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s multiple animals that were buried back there,\u201d Bresciani said. \u201cBut we can\u2019t say for sure how many.\u201d<\/p>\n She said most of the remains were located at the home and commercial property in Claremont. Additionally, she said, four cats and nine dogs were seized, though she did not say if they were taken from the home.<\/p>\n In a written statement, the Upland Police Department said it assisted animal services officers with search warrants at two animal facilities in the 1800 block of West 11th Street.<\/p>\n \u201cCredible information was received indicating that many of the cats were sick, malnourished and in need of medical attention,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n Bresciani said the search warrants stemmed from weeks of investigative work. <\/p>\n \u201cWe coordinated with Upland so that we were serving the search warrants on the same day, same time,\u201d she said, adding that it was done to ensure the safety of all animals at every property. <\/p>\n Bresciani said she was unaware of any prior issues with the organization. <\/p>\n Tax records identified the founder and operator of the nonprofit as 59-year-old Ewa Hanna Konca.<\/p>\n Konca, who lives in a five-bedroom, six-bath home in Claremont, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The nonprofit also did not respond.<\/p>\n Property and tax records show the nonprofit has ties to Konca\u2019s home in Claremont and an office building at 840 Towne Center Drive, just outside Claremont city limits.<\/p>\n Konca also used the address of a medical plaza in Pomona to register a pet hotel and spa business, according to state and property records. <\/p>\n Konca has ties to a medical office at the same plaza, the records show.<\/p>\n Bresciani said investigators visited the Pomona location but did not serve a search warrant there. She said all business activity related to the nonprofit is part of the ongoing investigation.<\/p>\n Tax records show the nonprofit\u2019s fortunes rose for a time after Konca launched it either in 2018 or 2019. The nonprofit recorded about $25,000 in revenue initially, and by 2022 it brought in about $159,559.<\/p>\n But by following year, the nonprofit\u2019s finances had begun to falter. Last year, tax records show, Konca brought in about $36,380, a 77% drop from 2022.<\/p>\n The nonprofit\u2019s primary costs were supplies and medical expenses, according to records.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear what else may have contributed to the nonprofit\u2019s struggles, but there was no hint of issues in any of the photographs Konca uploaded to the organization\u2019s Facebook. In the background, the facilities appeared clean and organized.<\/p>\n Even the photos Konca took at home didn\u2019t hint at any problems there.<\/p>\n Bresciani said such cases are always a shock for the community.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you were driving in the neighborhood, you would never know. It\u2019s not like their front yards or their properties are in disrepair; they\u2019re quiet neighbors,\u201d Bresciani said. \u201cAnd then what you find behind the scenes, behind closed doors, that\u2019s a whole other matter.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so in this case,\u201d she said, \u201cunfortunately, there were a lot of deceased animals on the property.\u201d<\/p>\n