Florence Animal Shelter Director Vinnie Grosso said the residence is between Huntsville Road and Florence Boulevard.
Acting on a tip, Grosso said animal control officers found the cats in crates outside the residence. He said there also were "a few dogs, which are in very, very poor shape," and one chicken.
He said the dogs were hairless and suffering from mange.
He said the cats were removed from the residence Friday afternoon.
"They were all crammed into small cages or (animal) totes and scattered all over the yard," said Lauderdale County Animal Control Officer Dewayne Oliver. "I would say the area was about a half-acre and it was just hard to describe. There was 15 years of cat food cans and cat litter piled up out there along with the cats."
Oliver said some of the cats looked like they were being taken care of, and some didn't.
"You could tell by the look in their eyes that they were sick and in need of attention," Oliver said.
No charges were filed Friday, but the case remains under investigation.
Lauderdale County Assistant District Attorney Angie Hamilton said the owner signed over the animals, allowing them to be taken.
Grosso said animal control will be searching for people to adopt or foster the animals.
"The problem with hoarders, in their mind, the hoarder thinks they're saving animals," he sad. "They get so many animals they can't take care of them."
In the end, he said, the hoarder ends up hurting the animals rather than helping them."
He said the cats will be checked by a veterinarian before they're offered for adoption.
Hamilton said the district attorney's office will be reviewing the case and working with the Florence and Lauderdale County animal control officers to determine if any charges should be filed.
"It's one of the worst hoarding cases we've seen," Grosso said.
(Times Daily - Jan 16, 2015)
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