POLK COUNTY, Fla. — For the second time this week, a Polk County woman is behind bars for hoarding dozens of animals in her home while caring for an elderly person, the sheriff's office reports.
Polk County deputies first responded on Thursday to a home on Pope Lane off of Bethlehem Road to complete a well-being check. They reportedly arrived to a strong odor of ammonia in a home "covered with feces."
"The air was very difficult to breathe, and multiple cats were running throughout the residence," the sheriff's office wrote. "Piles of trash and garbage were located throughout the residence, and several cats appeared to be underweight and in need of proper care."
Detectives said, in total, 35 cats and one dog were found living inside the home.
35 cats, one dog rescued from Polk County home
Animal control representatives also recorded an ammonia reading of 15 ppm. For context, 0 ppm is the reading for normal breathing air.
Deputies arrested 57-year-old Sharon Cochran and charged her with 36 counts of animal neglect.
Detectives added that Cochran was the sole caregiver of an 82-year-old woman with limited mobility who was living in the home. She was relocated to a family member's home, and Cochran was charged with an additional count of neglect of an elderly person.
“This is the second case in a week where we have found a woman who, thinking she is helping, ended up hoarding animals," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. "The victim is now in the care of other family members, and the animals are being examined by our Animal Control veterinary staff. It is our hope they will be rehabilitated and able to be adopted out to loving homes."