Mother and son charged with 54 counts of animal abuse after dogs, cats were found in 'deplorable conditions'

Dogs and cats rescued from 'deplorable conditions'

Highlands County Sheriff's Office deputies say 54 animals were rescued from "deplorable conditions" on Tuesday afternoon. Darlene Hutchinson, 66, and her son, 36-year-old Arthur Melvin Doliver, were both arrested and charged with 54 counts of animal cruelty.

SEBRING, Fla. - An eviction turned into a rescue operation for 46 dogs and 8 cats in Highlands County that were found in a home covered in feces and infested with roaches and rats, according to officials.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Highlands County Sheriff's Office says deputies initially went to the 17000 block of Broadland Lane in the Kissimmee River Estates neighborhood to initiate an eviction process. But, when they went inside the single-wide mobile home they discovered 54 animals living in "deplorable conditions."

Darlene Hutchinson, 66, and her son, 36-year-old Arthur Melvin Doliver, were both arrested and charged with 54 counts of animal cruelty. Deputies say they were told the mother and son had been living in the home for six years and started out with two dogs and one cat.

Courtesy: Highlands County Sheriff's Office

According to the sheriff's office, the entire floor of the home was covered in animal feces and there were many crates, the bottoms of which were also covered with several inches of feces, stacked on top of each other.

Dogs and cats were inside the crates that were all covered with cloth that prevented any free air flow, according to deputies.

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Authorities say none of the water bowls in the crates had water, but some were filled with urine.

According to HCSO, many of the dogs had visible flea infestations, several had noticeable hair loss and dogs with long fur were matted with dried feces. The home was infested with roaches and rats and officials say the walls were covered with cobwebs.

Deputies say the entire home was filled with garbage.

There were some animals that were not caged, but deputies were told that the ones who were confined in the kennels had never been let out of their cages.

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"Treating even one animal like this is inexcusable, but having more than 50 of them living in this kind of condition is just mind-boggling," Sheriff Paul Blackman said in a statement. "There is no reason anyone can give that would justify animals being kept in this kind of situation."

It took Highlands County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services Unit and deputies several hours to get all of the animals out of the home, according to authorities.

The Animal Services facility is undergoing a construction project, so all the animals were taken to the Humane Society of Highlands County. Deputies say they were scheduled to be seen by a veterinarian on Wednesday morning.

Animals rescued from 'deplorable conditions' recovering

The Humane Society of Highlands County posted a video of cats and dogs recovering after they were taken from a home that was filled with garbage and covered in feces.

"I want to thank Judy Spiegel and the rest of the staff at the Humane Society for coming out last night and helping us get these animals the immediate care they needed," shared Blackman. "We know they are in good hands now and their lives are going to only get better."

Anyone who would like to assist the Highlands County Humane Society can call 863-655-1522.

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