'The odor from the kennel areas outdoors and inside the home cause many first responders to experience dizziness and nausea.' Photo / Monmouth County SPCA
A New Jersey dog breeder has been arrested after investigators found 44 dead dogs dumped inside freezers at her home, and another 161 canines living in "deplorable and inhumane conditions".
Donna Roberts, 65, of Shamong Township, faces animal cruelty charges after investigators from Burlington County Health Department went to her house for an inspection.
The overpowering smell of animal feces and ammonia was so strong inside Roberts' house that several of the investigators became dizzy and were nauseous, the Daily Mail reports.
Four of the dogs were in such bad shape that they had to be rushed to a veterinary clinic for emergency treatment.
The remaining dogs were treated at the scene by animal welfare workers, state police said.
"Although the circumstance surrounding the demise of the 44 dogs that were discovered inside plastic bags in freezers remain under investigation, the deplorable and inhumane living conditions the rescued dogs were forced to endure is tragic," NJ State Police Col. Patrick Callahan said in a statement.
"Troopers take an oath to protect and safeguard life, including the lives and well-being of pets, which can be vulnerable to abuse."
BREAKING.
The Monmouth County SPCA along with several of our partner shelters are on scene at a Burlington County...
Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said his office obtained a search warrant for Roberts' home after concerns were raised about the welfare of animals.
"We are appalled by the horrendous conditions these dogs were subjected to, and as a result, I authorized charges against the property owner, Donna Roberts."
Roberts was charged with animal cruelty but has been released pending a court date.
Roberts claimed that the puppies were all stillborn and that she forgot about the dead animals after putting them in bags and storing them in her freezer seven years ago.
"I forgot all about them, they were in the cellar," Roberts said. "They were in a freezer, and that's what breeders do when dogs die. I forgot all about them. They were born dead and I didn't kill them. They're making a big deal out of nothing."
Roberts told the New York Post how she and and her boyfriend stored the animals to be sent to a veterinarian in Alabama to be autopsied but then claims the corpses in her basement simply slipped her mind.
A variety of breeds were found at Roberts home including coonhounds, Labradors, Boston terrier mixes and Havanese, alongside poodles, boxers and West Highland white terriers.
Roberts says she plans to fight the charges insisting she didn't do anything wrong.