Deputies from the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Department had repeatedly warned and advised the owners of more than 20 dogs and 20 cats to take better care of them, after receiving reports of neglect from neighbors.

Seeing no improvement over the course of several days, detectives issued a summons to the owners of the animals, Terri Turner and her daughter, Frannie Charlene Fisher, who reside at a residence on Wilson Magee Road in Bogalusa.

Representatives from the Humane Society of Louisiana were escorted to the site by sheriff’s deputies Monday afternoon and removed more than 20 dogs, 20 cats, a duck and a rabbit, of all whom were showing signs of visible neglect and lack of medical care.

“These types of large scale cruelty cases — in this case, a hoarding situation — are complex and costly,” said Jeff Dorson, HSL director, whose group has overseen more than a dozen of these types of cases during their 25 years as a cruelty investigation organization. “The parish does not have an animal control department where these animals can be housed, nor can the sheriff’s office reimburse us for these services. We have to, therefore, rely on the generosity from the public to help us care for these sick animals.”

Dorson said that Turner and Fisher were charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty and a complaint was also filed with Child Protection Services, since two teenagers were reportedly living in squalid conditions on the same property.