Animal services officials in southern California have rescued more than 100 neglected animals including dogs, horses, birds and pet cockroaches from a home in Riverside county.
Riverside county officials served a search warrant on Wednesday at a property that was discovered following the Nixon fire that burned more than 5,200 acres (2,100 hectares) in July, according to a statement released on Thursday.
At the property, officials discovered more than 100 animals, with a majority of them being livestock or birds. Among the animals were three horses, six goats and several dogs, some of which have been described as “wolf hybrid” by community members, according to officials.
“There had also been recent reports on social platforms of dogs being willfully abandoned. Some of those dogs, described as ‘wolf hybrids’, have been collected by the public and animal services. Some of those types of dumped dogs looked similar to those found at the Aguanga property,” the statement said.
Additionally, officials said the horses were in poor condition at the property, which is located approximately 20 miles (30km) from Temecula, a suburban city that is part of the greater Los Angeles area.
Chickens, exotic birds including parakeets and cockatiels, and mice, as well as pet cockroaches, were also discovered at the property.
Officials said the property owner was not present and did not respond to two official notices from animal services which were posted at the property on 31 July. The lack of on-site caretakers – in addition to the poor condition of some of the animals – resulted in the mass seizure, they added.
Most of the animals are being taken care of at the county’s San Jacinto Valley animal campus. A miniature horse and a sheep, believed to be a bonded pair, were transported to the county’s shelter in Jurupa Valley.
Animal services will seek felony animal cruelty charges upon submitting its findings to the Riverside county district attorney’s office, officials said.
“Once again, our officers are responding to animals in need and I am proud of their efforts,” the director of animal services, Erin Gettis, said in a statement, adding: “This was one of the more unique investigations we’ve had, considering the wide arrange of critters now needing our assistance.”
The Guardian has contacted Riverside county animal services for comment.
