The video was taken inside the house. Police say that neither children nor animals should be exposed to such an environment.

Shannon Marie Morgan, 38 of Beverly Hills, Florida, was charged with 12 counts of animal cruelty and one child neglect. Authorities responded to her home and found that it was full of rats, cats and snakes.

Officers responded to a complaint of animal cruelty and made the arrest last week. The Sheriff's Office stated in a press release that they were overwhelmed by the strong smell of ammonia upon entering the house. They initially saw several glass aquariums and cages that contained rodents and snakes, but they also saw cats and rats running free in the house. It was obvious that these animals were starved of their most basic needs.

Officers stated that the floor was "slippery due to urine and feces" throughout their home. They also noted that the ceiling was "covered in flies" as well as trash all over the house. In their release, the Sheriff's Office stated that they were shocked by other deplorable conditions like trash, dirty dishes and rotten foods all over the residence.

Facebook was shared by authorities with footage of the house:

Two cages were found in one bedroom, one with a ferret inside and one with a dog inside. Cops said that both animals had been starved. Authorities found another room occupied by a juvenile, whose age and name has not been released. They reported finding a mattress "covered in roaches" on the ground. There were also multiple cats that were "actively dismembering an adult rat."

The third bedroom had "approximately 50 rodents kept in cages and over 300 rodents free to roam freely." An officer wrote in an arrest affidavit, that the rodents "had completely taken control" of the room.

Animal control finally removed seven cats and one dog before the house was "secured to further investigation," which included the removal of three snakes as well as the various rodents.

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According to the affidavit, she stated that she no longer lived at the residence but still visited it every night. According to her, she claimed she was aware that the situation had deteriorated but she has not received help until today when she called rodent companies. She also stated that she did not want to continue living in the same conditions as her home.

Sheriff Mike Prendergast stated that abuse of any kind must not be tolerated. "The conditions in this residence and the animals were so poor that Sheriff's Office personnel were warned not to allow entry."

He said that neither children nor animals should be subject to such an environment. It is vital that citizens report signs of neglect or child abuse to the authorities. Again, our Animal Control Officers, Deputies and Crime Scene Specialists have done an amazing job."

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Title: Florida Woman Arrested for Child Neglect, Animal Abuse After Cops Find 300+ Rats In Home
Sourced From: toofab.com/2022/12/13/florida-woman-child-neglect-animal-abuse/
Published Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2022 22:12:25 +0000

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