According to officials, deputies were serving a search warrant to investigate Polly Pauline Hopper's home in Wilmer for a stolen dog when they discovered the other dogs.
Hopper’s mother Patsy Lee spoke to FOX10 News about the incident.
"They took all the dogs. They took all cats, and said they were going to come back tomorrow and get my chickens. I just got my chickens," Lee said.
Deputies said Hopper would not cooperate with the search warrant and is facing obstruction of government operation and resisting arrest charge.
Lee said her daughter did not resist arrest. She said the dogs had food and water, but she admitted to having feces on the floor inside the home.
This is not the first time our cameras have been near the Hopper's home. FOX10 was invited onto the property after deputies searched their home and questioned the couple about a missing man in January 2013.
FOX10 hasn’t been inside the home, but Mobile County Sheriff’s Deputies have.
"What they found were just conditions that you would think would be uninhabitable for man or animal,” said Mobile County spokesperson Nancy Johnson.
Johnson said animal control has been working with the Hoppers for some time.
"They’ve had a lot of animals. In the past, we've taken some. We've given them a limited number of animals that they could keep,” Johnson said.
While the deputies were at Hopper's home, they said they noticed deplorable living conditions and called animal control.
All the confiscated dogs were taken to the Mobile County Animal Shelter and currently have a legal hold on them.
The Mobile County Animal Shelter, however, said the addition of the confiscated animals will put them over capacity, and they do have 48 dogs ready for adoption. They are urging the public to adopt these dogs to make room for the incoming animals.
The dog authorities were looking for has been recovered. Officials urge folks with a missing dog in the Wilmer area to check the animal shelter.
(WFAL - May 18, 2013)
