Orange County Animal Care officers were contacted by an anonymous caller who led them to the residence at Beach West Mobile Estates in Stanton on Wednesday.
The female resident granted access to officers, who found dozens of animals in the residence in squalid conditions.
Wednesday night, authorities removed nearly 40 animals, including eight dogs, 16 cats, two chickens, lizards, mice, a crow and a raccoon.
Animal Care Sgt. Kyle Werner described "hoarding-type conditions" inside the mobile home, with "a lot of fecal matter, urine, a strong smell of ammonia," he said. The officers had to use respirators because of the smell.
The 45-year-old woman was identified by neighbors as "Karen." She stopped at her residence with her mother Thursday, upset after losing her animals.
"Obviously I do care for the animals, but that's all I have to say," said Karen.
"I knew she had a few animals because she loves them, but we never expected that she had that many," said neighbor Karen Dutton.
"When you walked by you could smell the ammonia smell, whatever it was, it was very bad," said "Marilyn," another neighbor.
"That is not healthy, not for the animals, not for her because, I mean pretty much she had a zoo inside the house," said Dutton.
Authorities say two dogs needed treatment for age-related problems, but none appeared to be mistreated or malnourished. The animals are now being cared for at Orange County Animal Care.
"We've had hoarding situations with a lot of cats, a lot of dogs, but in this particular instance with a variety of animals, that is quite unusual," said Ryan Drabek, director of OC Animal Care.
The mobile home has been red-tagged, deemed not safe to enter. Authorities say the home is not livable. It has no proper bathroom and no proper exit.
Investigators say the resident could face charges for improper care of animals.
(abclocal - March 29, 2012)
