Animal protection officers raided a home in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where they found 75 animals living in extreme filth along with the owner of the house and her child, according to The Southeast Missourian.
Among the animals found at the home were several dogs, approximately 40 rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, goats and even some rare birds, including a peacock. The homeowner was charged with misdemeanor animal abuse.
"It upsets us, it makes us mad, but hoarding is an illness, and until someone steps up to help this woman, she's not going to realize she has a problem," Cheryle Dillon, an animal welfare worker involved with the case, told the news source. "The woman has a kind hearther mind is just not in the right place."
The majority of the animals found in the home were removed, and four dogs who were seized have been adopted by families. Local authorities reported that this was the most animals they had ever found in a hoarding situation.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, there are approximately 900 to 2,000 new cases of animal hoarding in the U.S. every year.
Animal protection officers raided a home in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where they found 75 animals living in extreme filth.