Conditions at the Newport property where an elderly woman lived with her son and dozens of sick and malnourished cats and dogs "created two dwellings that should not be inhabited by animals, let alone people," according to the Washington County Health Department.

In a letter to property owner Craig Sharp, the health department recommends the house at 1815 Long Run Road be thoroughly cleaned and restored before anyone takes up residence there again. The letter advises that a trailer on the property at 1855 Long Run Road, be torn down.

Sharp's brother, 52-year-old Steven Sharp lived in the house with his mother, Dorothy, and is scheduled to appear in Marietta Municipal Court today for an arraignment on a charge of failure to care for an impaired person, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Steven Sharp was arrested on Sept. 8 after the county dog warden and sheriff's deputies executed a search warrant on the home. They were investigating a report of malnourished dogs and found them outside, as well as 80-year-old Dorothy Sharp in the house, where cat feces covered the floor and other services.

Dorothy Sharp was placed in the custody of Adult Protective Services and taken to Marietta Memorial Hospital. A nursing supervisor said Tuesday that she was no longer listed as a patient there.

On Monday, five charges of animal cruelty, second-degree misdemeanors, were filed against Steven Sharp, who is free on a personal recognizance bond.

In a letter dated Sept. 9, health department sanitarian Joshua Lane and health commissioner Kathleen Meckstroth recommend demolishing the trailer.

Investigators found more than 20 cats and a floor so rotted away by urine and feces they had to put in planks to walk in it. They had to don oxygen masks before they entered.

"At this point, we do not think you can clean it up sufficiently for human habitation," Meckstroth said Tuesday.

The letter warns that, if left standing, the structure could become a refuge for rodents, pests and feral cats that could be a potential source of disease for people and other animals.

All 33 cats discovered in the home and the trailer were euthanized because they had leukemia, which is contagious among cats. A humane officer said Monday that 30 more cats were still roaming the property.

The health department's recommendation is only that. The structure cannot be officially declared uninhabitable until the board of health votes on it. The board's next meeting is Oct. 13.

It is rare for a house to be declared uninhabitable, Meckstroth said.

"In fact, most of the time we do not get involved, because it is the resident's choice," she said.

Meckstroth noted the board has little authority when it comes to how people willingly choose to live in their own residence. But they do get involved when an individual in the residence cannot take care of himself or herself or when the situation poses a public health threat.

If someone did try to live in the building again or the situation worsened, the department could work with other authorities, such as the prosecutor's office or township trustees, to remedy the situation, Meckstroth said.

Neither Craig nor Steven Sharp could be reached for comment.