KINGSLAND, Ga. – Disclaimer: This story contains details that some will find graphic in nature. Discretion is advised.
A Kingsland woman is facing nearly 40 animal cruelty charges after investigators said they made a gruesome discovery at her home.
News4JAX is not identifying the woman or the street she lives on because, according to the arrest report, the woman told police that she was previously diagnosed with a mental health condition.
According to the arrest report, the Camden County Animal Control officer opened an investigation into the woman after a sick puppy was found in the woman’s driveway. The report states that the woman told the officer she didn’t know where the puppy came from, and that days later, the same officer went back to investigate the incident involving the sick puppy after animal control received an anonymous complaint about dead animals scattered throughout the woman’s back yard.
The report states the woman gave the animal control officer consent to look inside the home where the officer discovered at least a dozen dead animals. The deceased animals were located both inside the home and in the backyard. This prompted the animal control officer to call the Kingsland Police Department.
A KPD officer entered the home and, according to the report, that officer was greeted with a strong foul odor of feces and urine. The KPD officer noted in the report that the entire floor was covered in feces, urine and trash. While inside, the officer found several cats and puppies that were still alive. The animals had food that was stored in Tupperware containers but, according to the report, there were no water bowls for the puppies.
According to the report, there was an 8-month-old puppy named Aurora that was roaming the house that the woman said she purchased of off Facebook Marketplace. Aurora’s food and water bowl were reportedly both empty and covered in trash. The KPD officer noted in the report that Aurora appeared to be starving and the dog made several attempts to eat trash that was layered on the floor throughout the house.
The animal control officer directed the KPD officer to a screened-in patio at the back of the home where there were 16 plastic containers stacked on top of each other. According to the report, each container had different species of snake inside them. The report said none of the containers had food or water. The KPD officer asked the woman when the last time the snakes were fed.
“It was possibly three weeks ago,” the woman reportedly answered.
The report states that five of the snakes were still alive, but 11 were dead.
The report also states there were several wired cages and two neglected chicken coops in the back yard. It states that bones of unknown animals were discovered on the floor of the cages and that 11 decomposing chickens were discovered inside the chicken coops. Investigators said they appeared to have been abandoned.
While officers were at the home, the report states, the woman admitted to them that she had a dead rabbit sitting in a fish tank that was located in her bedroom. Officers also found several lizards in the home that were in bad shape.
According to the report, officers made their way to the second floor of the home where they entered carpeted bedrooms that belonged to the woman’s children. The report states the carpets were covered in feces and urine and that the woman told officers her children are under the age of 17 and had stayed there for a week but left the day before officers arrived at her home.
According to the report, the woman told investigators she was not able to care for the animals due to being quarantined during the pandemic. An officer asked her why she continued to purchase pets if she was unable to car for them, and she did not answer.
The woman was arrested on charges of animal cruelty. The arrest report notes that the Department of Family and Children Services was contacted.