Police described the conditions of an animal rescue operation as “unimaginable” after they discovered hundreds of dead and dying dogs and cats packed into cages at locations in Texas and Missouri.
The rescue operation is run by Tiffany Woodington, 49, and her husband, Steven Woodington, 55. The couple run All Accounted For, which brought animals from Texas into Missouri, according to the Associated Press. Authorities said they found a total of nearly 300 animals living at the joint operations, although many had to be euthanized because of their level of emaciation.
Tiffany Woodington was charged in Missouri with 10 counts of felony animal abuse and two misdemeanor counts of animal abuse. Steve Woodington was charged in Texas with 19 counts of animal cruelty. A third person, who is described as the caretaker, was also charged in Texas with animal cruelty.
In the small community of Los Fresnos, Texas, Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio said that his department received some complaints about barking dogs and after investigating discovered about 270 animals, two dozen of them dead. Many of the dogs were allegedly crammed into cages together and were covered in urine and feces. Authorities estimate that about half of the canines found wouldn’t survive or would have to be put down.
“This is the worst case of animal abuse I’ve ever seen,” Lucio said. “The multitude? It’s staggering, it’s staggering to the imagination.”
The hellish scene in Texas led authorities to Benton County, Missouri, where officers said Steven Woodington had been transporting the animals. When deputies arrived, Tiffany Woodington showed them the property and about 120 dead dogs were found in “various stages of decay,” according to a post from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. A dead cat was found among the dead animals and “some were just bones.”
According to authorities, 38 dogs and a cat were found alive at the Missouri property but were in “unimaginable conditions.”
Benton County Sheriff Eric Knox expressed surprise that law enforcement had heard “not a word” about the conditions or the property despite the nearest neighbor being just 500 feet away.
“It really surprises me that no one in the community said, ‘You better check that lady out.’ And the smell, as soon as I drove up, I could smell it,” Knox said.
“I am a dog lover, and I struggle with it,” he added.
