Officers said they became aware of the animals after a constable went to serve an eviction notice at 55-year-old Laurie Collins' home near 67th and Peoria Avenues.
Fifty-two mistreated dogs were found outside without a shelter, police said. Two of the dogs were found dead, and a third dog died while being taken to the hospital.
Collins had initially left the home with three dogs in her car, but later came back and was taken into custody.
In a phone interview with ABC15, Collins denied the abuse accusations.
"Never in my life," Collins said when asked whether she had neglected the dogs. She alleges that she and her daughter rescue abused dogs and that they have found new homes for more than 400 dogs over the past 14 years.
Great. Another person who thinks they can do better than a legitimate rescue or animal shelter. These people are becoming much too common.
Collins admitted that her situation with the dogs had become unsustainable after accumulating too many of the animals.
"I had so many of those dogs because it got away from me," Collins said. She said that she had contacted the Arizona Humane Society for help— a claim which a humane society spokesperson disputed.
Collins and her daughter were squatting in the house for the past two months, according to Brian Bair, Chief Operating Officer OfferPad, the company that owns the home.
Collins said that she had been scammed and signed a lease for the home with a third party.
Police said they tried to tell Collins to leave with her dogs, but she wouldn’t comply. She is facing a slew of charges, including 49 counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals and three counts of felony cruelty to animals.
The Arizona Humane Society called this a case of animal hoarding. The dogs are described as Chow/Shepherd mixes with a few other breeds (golden mixes) mixed in. There are a handful that are 6 months of age with another handful approximately 2 years old. The rest between 5 and 7 years old. They're described as anti-social.
The animals were agitated and overheating, some fighting with one another. All were living without shelter or shade. They had food and water, but not enough, according to the Arizona Humane Society.
The Arizona Humane Society says they have extensive history with Collins, but she is known to move around a lot
“Sadly, cases like this of hoarding, it is a mental condition. It is very difficult to get someone to work with you or to be agreeable to seeking help in these situations,” said Nelson.
Full Name: Laurie Collins
Gender: Female
Birthdate: 07/12/1961
Height: 6'00"
Weight: 185 lbs
Hair Color: BROWN
Eye Color: BLUE
Date of arrest: 08/04/2016
Arrest Age: 55
Arresting agency: Maricopa County, AZ
Charge:
#1 ANIMAL-CRUEL NEGLECT/ABANDON
(FOX 10 Phoenix - August 4, 2016)
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