New Jersey police officers responded to a distress call Monday and said they found a child in a home with over 30 deceased dogs.
“These officers are also working, thoroughly on this investigation, to charge and prosecute the suspects related to the despicable conditions in this home and the malnourishment/abuse of the animals in this home,” Evesham Township Police (ETP) wrote Tuesday on Facebook.
Officers found a mix of living and deceased dogs scattered throughout the house. Child protection services were called to remove a child from the home due to the unhealthy conditions, ETP wrote. (RELATED: Man Says He Drove 140 MPH To Vet As His Dogs Overdosed On Cocaine: REPORT)
Authorities discovered 14 surviving dogs, as well as numerous cats and rabbits. Nine severely ill dogs were taken to an animal hospital and one dog died. ETP believes there was potentially 100 dogs that were dying at the home.
“There’s dogs in cages. Live dogs in cages. Dead dogs in cages. Dead animals throughout the house,” ETP Chief Walt Miller told NBC. “It’s definitely concerning having a 9-year-old child living in this home, sleeping in this home, eating in this home.”
Rebecca Halbach, 35, and Brandon Leconey, 32, face several charges, including endangering a child in the second degree and animal cruelty in the third degree. Leconey and Halbach await a hearing at Burlington County Superior Court.
“This investigation is ongoing, additional animal cruelty charges will be filed once the actual number of dogs can be determined,” ETP wrote.
“The Evesham Police Department asks that anyone who has information related to this ongoing investigation, including anyone who provided animals to the residents of this home, please contact the Evesham Police Department at 856-983-1116, confidential tip.”