MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Dead cats, feces and piles of trash were all found inside one Midtown Memphis home.
The house is so filthy Memphis Animal Shelter workers were unable to find all the animals when they finally forced their way into the home.
You can't judge a book by its cover. The manicured lawn in the 800 block of Stonewall is courtesy of a next door neighbor. Brittney Jackson lives across the street, "You look on the outside and see something totally different," she says.
The grey cat outside the door is not a family pet but a brave survivor. Abc24.com found trash, feces, and broken furniture all over the home. Neighbors had no idea how bad it was until MAS broke in. Jackson says, "I stepped on the porch and kicked the door in and I saw dead animals around, a lot of trash up to almost your knee, feces, dead flies everywhere - just nasty."
Neighbor Rona Pointer says, "The back door had been unlocked so the animals could get in. It's like 15 or 20 cats, they found some dead and some alive."
Memphis Animal Control officers say it's one the largest animal hoarding cases they've ever seen. "The odor, oh my gosh," Jackson describes, "It's all kind of animals, it's not only cats, it's raccoons, all kinds of snakes in that house, everything."
The house is in such deplorable condition, officers couldn't be sure they got all the animals out so they set up traps around the home to catch any still around. Neighbors say the home owner hasn't lived there since February but she still frequents the residence. She even drove by in the middle of our interview with neighbors, but quickly sped away.
Despite her quick drive by, animal control hasn't been able to find her. Jackson says, "I think she should be arrested, you don't do animals like that."
Memphis police received a call about the home, but no word what charges, if any, she could be facing.
