Arizona man froze nearly 200 animals in garage freezer

An Arizona man faces animal cruelty fees after 183 useless canine, rabbits, birds and different animals have been present in a freezer, together with some that have been apparently frozen whereas alive, officers mentioned.

Mohave County deputies and animal management officers discovered the animals in a storage freezer on 3 April after a girl reported that Michael Patrick Turland, 43, hadn’t returned snakes she’d lent him for breeding, the Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned Thursday in a press release. The freezer was at a house that Turland beforehand rented in Golden Valley, a rural neighborhood in far western Arizona.

The frozen animals included canine, turtles, lizards, birds, snakes, mice, rats and rabbits, the assertion mentioned. “A number of of the animals appeared to have been frozen alive resulting from their physique positioning.” The Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned they have been saved in a “large-sized chest freezer.”

The house’s proprietor reportedly found the frozen animals whereas cleansing after Turland and his spouse vacated the property. The proprietor then contacted the girl who notified the Sheriff’s Workplace, the assertion mentioned.

Turland was arrested on the dwelling Wednesday when deputies have been informed he had returned to the property, the workplace mentioned.

“When interviewed, Turland finally admitted to inserting a number of the animals within the freezer once they have been nonetheless alive,” the assertion mentioned.

Courtroom data didn’t record an lawyer who may touch upon behalf of Turland, who was arrested on 94 counts of animal cruelty.