Christine Lynn Smith was arrested on Tuesday after the bodies of 10 dogs and three cats were found decomposing in her former home littered with over 1,000 empty beer cans.
The 50-year-old's home on North Pine Knoll Drive was recently auctioned off, and new homeowner Ed Harrell was checking out the property in the afternoon when he found a dead dog just inside the doorway and called police.
Deputies had to completely air out the home, which stenched of ammonia, before proceeding inside to find the decaying bodies of nine more dogs and three cats - most in crates.
'A foul odor came from the home and I observed multiple beer boxes and empty beer cans (best estimate approximately 1,000),' Deputy Paul Schoenbeck described in his incident report.
'The odor and ammonia fumes in the home caused me to have to leave the residence to catch my breath and regain balance as I was becoming light headed,' he added.
Officials with Macon-Bibb Animal Welfare estimate that the animals had been dead for months. The animals' bodies were apparently so decayed that it was impossible to conduct a necropsy to see how they died.
It was also revealed that the 50-year-old had worked at the shelter for two months in 2012, but had been fired within her six-month probationary period for reasons not disclosed. Smith claimed she quit the job, according to a man who knew Smith from the local bar scene and spoke with WGXA.
Robert Wilson says he was surprised to hear about her arrest.
'What I think happened is, she used to take in a lot of strays from what she told me and she was also having financial difficulties for a while and probably still was, and she was just trying to do the best she could but unfortunately it just turned out that way,' Wilson said.
The center's assistant interim director said that none of the animals found in Smith's home were taken from the animal center.
Neighbor William Hopkins was outside the house when police started removing the bodies.
'They were carrying out cages containing what look like, old dried out leather,' Hopkins told 41 NBC. 'Then the stench hit me and it's like yep, they're dead all of them.
Smith appears to have still been living in the home since one of the rooms was cleaner than the rest. A witness also told police that she had seen Smith at the house two days prior.
The witness 'stated that she knew she was an animal lover and that she worked with rescues,' according to the incident report.
Police located Smith Tuesday evening at a bar in Macon, 20's Pub and Subs, and charged her with 13 counts of animal cruelty.
Smith appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday, when she was ordered held on $74,000 bond, not to take any more animals into her care or carry any weapons.
When the judge asked Smith if she understood she can't adopt any more pets, she said: 'I don't have any.'
Smith's bond was lowered to $15,600 later that afternoon and she posted bail that evening.
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