MISSISSIPPI -- Deputies confiscated more than 100 animals from a residence in Hancock County Wednesday, The Sun-Herald reports.
Sharon Merritt, 59, and boyfriend, Todd Klibert, 55, were both arrested for animal cruelty charges related to animal hoarding.
Dogs, cats, chickens, turkeys and rabbits were reportedly found, Sheriff Ricky Adam said.
"The vet staff is out there examining the animals, and my animal warden tells me the vet thinks the cats may all have to be put down," Adam told the newspaper. "The cats were all kept in a wooden storage shed, and they have some sort of respiratory problems."
Deputies reportedly helped employees of the Hancock County Animal Shelter round up the animals as the couple was booked.
Investigators are also checking with authorities in Louisiana, where Merritt may own property, to see if she has similar charges there, Adam said.
The Hancock County case is the second animal hoarding investigation near the Mississippi Coast within the last month.
Stone County deputies recovered 117 dogs from the residence of Shirley Gai, 51, on March 19. Gai was booked on simple animal cruelty for neglect and 116 counts of failure to provide rabies shots and had apparently had prior charges related to animal hoarding.
Some of the dogs had to be euthanized and all were neglected and had mange. Gai’s trial has been set for 1 p.m. on April 17.
(Jackson Clarion Ledger - April 11, 2013)
