Three adults were taken into custody after officials found three young girls living in "deplorable" conditions during a welfare check at their Florida home. When officers approached the house of Susan and Greg Nelson, they could smell "the overwhelming odor of ammonia while standing in the driveway." That was nothing compared to what they found when they went inside.
The officers discovered three young girls, ages eight, nine, and ten, living inside the trash-filled home alongside 245 animals. Those animals included two cats, four dogs, 83 rats, 95 mice, and dozens of other animals, including birds, rabbits, and various reptiles. Officers could not walk through the house without stepping on animal feces or trash, which was "ankle-deep" in the girls' bedroom.
The children were removed from the home by the Department of Children and Families and were placed in the care of a relative. The animals were rescued and brought to a local animal shelter.
The Nelsons, and Melissa Hamilton, who police say is the couple's live-in girlfriend, were all arrested and charged with three counts of child abuse and 66 counts of animal cruelty.