Photo: Citrus County Sheriff's Office
A Florida woman is facing charges after authorities found a child and hundreds of animals inside a filthy home.
The Citrus County Sheriff's Office arrested 38-year-old Shannon Marie Morgan on Wednesday, December 7, after responding to an animal cruelty complaint at her home in Beverly Hills. Deputies pulled up during the evening hours but couldn't immediately enter the home due to the overwhelming smell of ammonia.
Authorities found several cages and glass aquariums containing snakes and rodents, including 300 rats "roaming freely" in one room. They also reported cats running around and blood splattered on a bedroom floor from killing a rat. In one room, a dog was inside a cage "too small" for its body while a ferret was trapped inside a cage "littered with urine."
"It was blatantly obvious; these animals were deprived of all their basic necessities. The build-up of fecal matter and urine in the house and cages caused an infestation of flies, roaches, and other bugs," officials wrote alongside a video capturing the mess inside the house. "Moving throughout the house officials were taken aback by the other deplorable conditions such as trash, dirty dishes, and rotten food scattered all throughout the residence."
When deputies arrived at the second bedroom, that's when they discovered a child inside with a mattress covered in roaches and trash all over the floor. No word on if Morgan and the child are related.
County animal control officers reportedly removed seven cats, the dog, and the ferret from the home. An investigation is ongoing, and they will be working on removing the other animals.
Morgan was booked into jail for 12 counts of animal cruelty and one count of child neglect. Her bond was set at $26,000.
“Abuse of any kind should not be tolerated,” Sheriff Mike Prendergast said in the Facebook statement. “Neither children nor animals should ever endure this type of environment. It is crucial that our citizens report any possible signs of child or animal neglect. Our Animal Control Officers, deputies and crime scene specialists once again have done a phenomenal job”