Nearly 20 dogs found dead in Ohio home, reports say

Nineteen dogs were found dead and more than two dozen other dogs were found in poor health in a home in southern Ohio, and the woman living there is facing multiple criminal charges.

Samantha Damron, 29, has been charged with 33 counts of cruelty to animals, WSAZ Channel 3 reports. She is being held in the Scioto County Jail on a $25,000 bond, according to WOWK Channel 13.

Authorities were called to the house on May 12 after neighbors noticed an unusual amount of flies on the windows of the home and also reported a strong odor. Police tell the Portsmouth Daily Times that when officers arrived, they were concerned they would find a dead human body inside.

Police say no one answered the front door, but officers found the back door was unlocked and went inside. They discovered 19 dead dogs inside the house in various states of decomposition, reports say. Another 27 dogs were found inside and were malnourished and dehydrated.

“It’s very heartbreaking,” Portsmouth City Health Department animal control officer Wendy Payton tells WSAZ. “I don’t know what makes a person treat their animals like this.”

The dogs were German shepherds or shepherd mixes, reports say. The Times reports the condition of the inside of the home was gruesome, with rotting food and animal waste throughout the residence. The home has been condemned.

Damron reportedly was in the home when officers arrived. According to the Times, police say Damron showed no emotion and told officers she was trying to rescue the dogs. Damron reportedly is a veterinary technician and was expected to start a new job on the day police arrived.

WOWK reports Damron had a Facebook page “dedicated to the viewing, making and selling of real animal parts.” Damron could face additional charges as the investigation continues, reports say.