Stench lingers in Vicar Road house, bothers neighbors

By Denice Thibodeau

Published: September 6, 2008

For months, neighbors of 204 Vicar Road complained amongst themselves about the strong odor of cats coming from the house.

Then, on June 20, Danville Animal Control officers and investigators from the Danville Area Humane Society were called to the house to check on abandoned animals. In the house, they found 17 live cats, four dead ones — and filth.

Paulette Dean, executive director of the Humane Society, described the scene as “horrific” — cat feces inches deep everywhere and a terrible smell. The animals were seized and, at the civil hearing, the owner of the house, Angie Blankenship, was forbidden to ever have companion animals again.

She also faces animal cruelty charges in Circuit Court on Oct. 3.

However, neighbors said, the stench remains and they have not been able to use their patios all summer.

Patricia Martin expressed her frustration with not being able to find the right city employees to complain to, and other neighbors agreed they felt their concerns were not being addressed.

The city’s response

On Thursday, Jerry Rigney, director of inspections for the city of Danville, met with concerned neighbors to discuss what was being done about the problem.

Rigney said his first step was to contact the owner and discuss the corrections needed.

“I talk to her at least once a week, and most times twice,” Rigney said. “She’s cooperating but feeling a little overwhelmed with everything she has to do.”

He also explained that several different offices are responsible for different property problems, which may be why the neighbors have been frustrated in their efforts to reach the proper authorities.

The Health Department would normally be the place to call about odors, Rigney said, but it would only be the place to call if the house is occupied — and Blankenship had moved out several months earlier, according to neighbors, who said she only stopped by to feed the cats for months before Animal Control officers arrived.

In that case, Rigney said, dangerous odors need to be reported to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Martin and her friends were obviously dismayed at the red tape involved and expressed relief that Rigney was taking an interest in straightening out the problem.

Cleaning up

Rigney said the four broken down cars on the property have been removed, the lawn has been mowed and Blankenship said she has hired a handyman to work on cleaning out the house. She also talked to Rigney about having a dumpster delivered to the property so the house can be cleaned out.

Blankenship has to strip the house right down to the concrete foundation, he said. The concrete will need to be cleaned and sealed, and then flooring can be replaced.

Asked why it was taking so long, Rigney told the neighbors he needs to allow the owner a reasonable amount of time to complete the work, but that by the end of the month, there should be major progress.

On Thursday, a faint odor could be detected coming from the house.

Neighbors said how strong the odor is varies depending on the weather.

Rigney said the owner had replaced a broken window, but it appeared not to have been installed correctly, which could explain why odors were still coming from the house. He promised to talk to Blankenship about fixing the problem.

Rigney assured the neighbors that he would remain on top of the situation and be glad to answer questions they have as the work continues.

Contact Denice Thibodeau at or (434) 791-7985.