MORGANTON, N.C. — A man and a woman were charged with animal cruelty after authorities said dozens of animals were found in declining living conditions.
Authorities said 70 animals, including 36 snakes were seized on Friday from a home on Gouge Avenue in Morganton.
Those animals also included six horses, six donkeys, 19 dogs, a rat, a ferret and a cat.
Andrew Jullian Moore and Stephanie Michelle McElhany were arrested on nine counts each for animal cruelty.
Animal Control monitored the living conditions since May 2013 but said the situation declined significantly over the summer months of 2015 and a veterinarian conducted an examination on the animals in October.
Conditions got worse over the next couple of months, officials said.
Additional charges are pending.
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