Dozens of dogs, cats starved while living in feces, urine in Macon hoarding house

The house that over two dozen dogs and cats were rescued from Tuesday in Macon was uninhabitable, and cluttered with heaps of trash, urine and feces, officials told The Telegraph.

Five people were arrested that day after eight cats and 20 dogs, including seven three-month-old puppies, which were found extremely famished in “deplorable condition” and locked in tight cages in a house on the 600 block of Morrow Place, according to Sonja Adams, animal enforcement manager of the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services.

Plastic buckets on the floor were full of urine, a bathtub was full of feces and responders could barely walk without stepping on garbage or bodily waste. Mountains of trash and food were piled on furniture, officials said.

It looked “like a dumpster got overturned,” Adams said.

“It was a total disarray … it was everywhere from one end of the house to the other,” Adams told The Telegraph.

Deputies responded to a scene Tuesday morning, then animal enforcement arrived to rescue the pets. The Macon-Bibb County Fire Department and emergency medical services also responded to assist with unsafe breathing conditions.

The entire house wreaked of ammonia that could be smelled from 50 feet away. Adams’ throat started burning and her oxygen dropped to 85% – below the normal range – as soon as she walked into the most disheveled room, she said.

Seven cats and three dogs were locked in a cage and covered in animal waste in that room. Animal enforcement saved them before ammonia could burn their skin.

All the cats had upper respiratory infections. At least one was still sneezing and had red, drippy eyes Thursday, which are temporary symptoms of the infection.

When Adams and Animal Enforcement Officer Lupe Ortiz released some from cages, they darted to eat feces off the floor and drink from buckets of pee.

“One of the cats was so thirsty when it escaped the room, it literally … stuck its little legs in that bucket and started drinking urine,” Adams said, pointing at photos of the room.

“Seeing these animals just literally pull us with all of their strength just to get to a puddle was heartbreaking,” Ortiz told The Telegraph.

The other 16 pets were found in other areas of the house, and two hound dogs were outside.

Adams was surprised by how “friendly and adoptable” most of the animals were with humans and each other. Pets usually act feral in severe animal cruelty cases like this, she said.

“One of the dogs came out of the house and saw his little cat friends in the cages… he went out there and started licking them,” Adams said, tearing up. “He said, ‘There’s my friends!’”

The dogs were an array of chihuahuas, hound mixes, pit bull mixes and other breeds.

Up for adoption

All of the animals walked out alive, and only a few had minor physical injuries.

Four dogs were euthanized due to their recorded histories of biting and aggression. Adams recognized them because they were previously at the animal shelter.

“It makes my heart hurt,” she said.

She also recognized the two hound dogs outside, which the suspects found and took from an area near Walmart on Gray Highway.

“They might actually belong to somebody so we have those posted as stray holds right now in hopes that an owner will come forward,” Adams said.

All the pets will likely be available for adoption at the county shelter and some rescues after being spayed and neutered. There was enough room at the county shelter to house the pets, and no pets were euthanized in order to make room for the 28 pets, Adams said.

The infected cats were taking antibiotics and were under veterinary care Thursday. Adams expects them to be healthy within two weeks.

What will happen to the house?

Five people arrested lived inside the house with the pets.

It’s unclear why they hoarded the animals and how long they lived in such conditions.

Code enforcement will likely handle the unsanitary conditions of the house, but Sgt. Christopher Williams said he does not expect the house to be seized.

The suspects were each charged with over a dozen counts of cruelty to animals due to the overall conditions of the pets, and aggravated cruelty to animals related to the extremely disheveled room, Adams said.

“It all started with somebody’s pet who was not spayed or neutered,” Ortiz said.

This story was originally published February 21, 2025 at 7:00 AM.