Nearly 100 animals found neglected in Spring Hill home: 'A scene from the TV show Hoarders'

Nearly 100 animals rescued from Spring Hill home

FOX 13's Briona Arradondo reports on Hernando County deputies removing nearly 100 neglected animals from a home in Spring Hill. Everything from cats, dogs, birds, bearded dragons, and pythons were found living in what investigators described as 'deplorable conditions.'

SPRING HILL, Fla. - Nearly 100 animals were cleaned up and receiving care on Friday after Hernando County deputies removed them from a Spring Hill home during an ongoing animal neglect investigation.

"We found basically like a scene from the TV show Hoarders, and the house was packed with a bunch of stuff," said Sheriff Al Nienhuis of the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. "[It was] very deplorable living conditions including a lot, a lot of roaches and spiders."

A cat was rescued from a Spring Hill home by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies said they seized about 30 cages housing roughly 70 birds, from macaws to parakeets and more, and cleaned their cages and trays after finding several inches of piled-up debris inside.

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"[There was] three or four inches full of old bird seed, bird manure, and downed feathers, and it almost made like a clump or a paste," said Nienhuis.

Nienhuis said deputies took the birds from a home on Sullivan Street in Spring Hill on Thursday after the homeowner called for help with a fire alarm.

"A firefighter went to the door and saw the deplorable conditions and all the animals and gave us a call," said Nienhuis.

Once deputies arrived to investigate animal neglect, Nienhuis said they encountered deplorable living conditions for humans and animals.

During the investigation, the birds are being held in a separate facility because Hernando County Animal Services did not have the space to care for the other animals seized from the home.

Animal services also opened its doors to care for a dozen cats they call underweight, including juvenile cats. They also took two dogs with fur loss, two rabbits, two bearded dragons, some fish, and a ball python from inside the same home.

A python that was rescued from a Spring Hill home by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

"It’s sad to me that they’re living in that condition, and it makes me wonder, how did we get here? Is there a mental health issue that we need addressing? Because this didn’t just start," said Kasey Johnson, the animal services supervisor at the Hernando County Animal Services Center.

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Johnson continued, saying, "It wasn’t something she was doing for profit. It was something that she believed she was taking good care of these animals, and she loved every one of them. It was hard for her to see them come out for the house."

FOX 13 asked the homeowner for comment. She said she thought she was doing what was best for her animals and planned to get an attorney.

The Spring Hill homeowner whose animals were confiscated by the Hernando County Sheriff's Office speaking with FOX 13's Briona Arradondo.

"Yes, we had a little issues here, but it’s not nothing major. My animals were well fed," said the homeowner, who was not identified.

Florida Fish and Wildlife is handling the criminal investigation into animal neglect, and FWC said they are recommending charges.

The Spring Hill home that the neglected animals were found.

The Spring Hill home where the neglected animals were found.

In the meantime, volunteers and shelter workers are focused on the roughly 90 animals in their care.

"There has been a very big outpouring of support, and when we get to the point where we are able to send them out to fosters or sanctuaries, we will definitely be contacting a lot of the rescues that have reached out," said Johnson, who said The Parrot Posse rescue in South Carolina reached out to help.

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Johnson said she "talked to her last night, and she went onto Chewy. She bought 90 pounds of large parrot food, a bunch of smaller parrot food, 300 toys, and she’s purchased three flight cages for the smaller breeds."

Nienhuis said he’d never seen that many birds have been seized from one home before.

FWC said investigators are finishing their report, and Nienhuis said a judge will hear the case to determine whether the animals will return to the homeowner or stay in the county’s care.

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