Over 100 animals, including multiple dead cats, have been found inside the home of an elderly woman in California.
ABC7 said hundreds of animals had been found at the home of an elderly woman in Los Angeles County.
The Inland Valley Humane Society (IVHS) said it had rescued 80 animals from the home in Diamond Bar, south of Los Angeles, after it received a tip about a possible animal hoarding situation.
On arrival, IVHS said its staffers were "immediately overwhelmed" by the condition and smell of the place.
Footage of the intervention showed dozens of cats, including small kittens, being rescued from the property as officials entered the home wearing hazmat suits. An animal skull found on site was also held up to the camera during a video clip posted on Facebook by the IVHS.
"IVHS staff was able to successfully remove over 80 animals including dogs and cats," it said in a statement. "Multiple deceased cats were also discovered in the home. All animals were taken back to IVHS for assessment and treatment by our veterinary team and will continue to remain in our care for the duration of the case."
The non-profit animal rescue group said it met with the occupant of the house on arrival and determined that they were over the limit for the number of animals allowed in a home.
According to Los Angeles County rules, a maximum of four dogs and five cats can be kept at a home in the county. All the animals need to be licensed.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) estimates there are 76.8 million dogs owned as pets in the U.S. and 58.3 million cats. Almost 40 percent of households in the U.S. own at least one dog and more than one in four people (25.4 percent) own at least one cat.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) say an estimated three million dogs and three million cats enter animal rescue shelters in the U.S. every year. Approximately 390,000 dogs and 590,000 cats of these are euthanized. Around two million dogs and two million cats are adopted from animal rescue shelters every year in the U.S.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the California Emergency Medical Services Authority responded with IVHS to the incident. IVHS said that the occupant of the house was taken to hospital by paramedics during the intervention. ABC7 said it is unclear whether she will face charges.
