New Jersey officials have found at least 44 frozen and 161 living dogs at a house that smelled so strongly of feces and urine it made police nauseous.
The dogs were living in "deplorable" and "inhumane" conditions, authorities reported on Facebook. Property owner Donna Roberts, 65, from Shamong Township, was arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty.
***UPDATE***
— NJSP - State Police (@NJSP) November 14, 2018
At this time, 161 living dogs have been recovered. The investigation is ongoing. No further information available at this time.#Alert https://t.co/iI92DESr6Q
Authorities went on to charge Roberts with animal cruelty. She was released pending a future court appearance, state police reported.
Police were called to the scene of a Burlington County Health Department investigation on Tuesday, where they found freezers piled high with plastic bags containing dead dogs. They found four dogs in a critical condition and sent them to an emergency vet. The remaining dogs were cared for at the scene.
"Although the circumstances surrounding the demise of the 44 dogs that were discovered inside plastic bags in freezers remain under investigation, the deplorable and inhumane living conditions the rescued dogs were forced to endure is tragic," Colonel Patrick Callahan of the New Jersey State Police said in a statement. "Troopers take an oath to protect and safeguard life, including the lives and well-being of pets, which can be vulnerable to abuse."
"We are appalled by the horrendous conditions these dogs were subjected to, and as a result I authorized charges against the property owner, Donna Roberts. I would like to commend the State Police for their professionalism and compassion, and thank the Burlington County Health Department and the many volunteers for the outpouring of support to provide for the care for these dogs."
Defending her actions, Roberts told the New York Post the frozen dogs were stillborn, and she'd originally stored them with a view to getting autopsies. "I forgot all about them, they were in the cellar," she said. "They were in a freezer, and that's what breeders do when dogs die. I forgot all about them. They were born dead and I didn't kill them. They're making a big deal out of nothing."
Roberts said she "didn't do anything wrong" and that she will fight the charges.
In other animal news, police recently saved several animals, including three lions and a three-legged bear, from "horrible" and "hellish" conditions at an Albanian zoo.
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