A preliminary hearing for a Summit Hill woman accused of multiple cruelty and neglect of animals and related offenses has been moved to the Carbon County Courthouse for security reasons, the district attorney said Friday.

Lori Claypoole, 59, is now scheduled for a preliminary hearing before District Judge Beth Dodson at 10:30 a.m. Thursday in Courtroom No. 1 due to the threatening social media comments, District Attorney Michael S. Greek said in a release.

Preliminary hearings are held only to determine probable cause, and the commonwealth rarely produces all witnesses and reserves their testimony for trial, the release said.

The majority of preliminary hearings are waived to the Court of Common Pleas without the necessity of such a hearing, the release said.

Greek also addressed the cleanup of the extreme unsanitary conditions of the apartment at 16 W. Ludlow St., which had already begun when his office was notified of the incident.

Since cleanup was underway, law enforcement was unable to accurately ascertain the exact number, manner and cause of death of any of the cats nor could it incur the costs of approximately $1,000 per feline forensic necropsy necessary to support and prosecute any additional charges, the release said.

Given the circumstances and resources of this office, the appropriate and most prosecutable charges were approved and filed, Greek said in the release.

In order to prevent such incidents from reoccurring, the Office of the District Attorney urges municipalities to consider enacting regulations relating to the feeding and maintenance of stray and feral cats as well as inspections of rental properties.

It is also incumbent upon friends, family, neighbors and landlords to report suspicious smells and suspect behavior relating to animals to code enforcement, humane officials and law enforcement.

The office encourages those concerned with this case to promote the funding and financial support of the Carbon County Friends of Animals and the programs of Trap-Neuter-Return and the Spay and Neuter programs it recommends.

The owner of the apartment, Sean Hegarity of Tamaqua, has questioned the number of charges against Claypoole, saying that she should be charged for each cat that perished in the apartment.

Law enforcement found a minimum of 30 deceased cats inside the apartment, according to arrest papers. Hegarity told the Times News that he stopped counting at 50, and posted on social media that there were 100 dead cats.

Claypoole was charged with one count of aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony 3; and the following misdemeanors: cruelty to animal, four counts; neglect of animals, four counts; cat vaccinations and licensing requirements for cats.

Also on social media, Hegarity has encouraged people to reach out to the district attorney regarding the charges, questioned not being called as witness for the preliminary hearing and encouraged a rally at the courthouse Thursday morning under a banner of Justice for Cats.