Seventy-two cats were removed from the home of a hoarder in Florida.
According to CBS Affiliate Wink News, 72 cats were removed from the home of Sandra Berkshire and the local authorities said it was an anonymous tip that led them to the horrifying discovery.
The home was described as fit for neither human nor animal and was in such poor condition that animal rescuers had to wear hazmat suits for the several hours it took to remove the cats.
"The house is absolutely jam-packed with cats stacked on cats, in cages, and a house full of feces, urine. It's very difficult to breathe, you can't stay in the house for very long,” Lt. Tony Backhurst with Lee County Domestic Animal Services said in a video provided by Fox 4.
According to her neighbors, Berkshire found most the cats as strays and picked them up with the intention of finding them homes.
“She's loving, caring. And she talks about how she's saved a few and gives them away, finds loving homes," neighbor Adam Rudd said.
"She had started adopting cats if you will, taking strays in and she'd go get them taken care of, fixed and she would try to get them adopted out, but I guess over the years things have just snowballed on her and she wasn't able to keep up with getting the cats adopted,” neighbor Geof Greene told WINK News.
According to animal services, the cats are suffering from upper respiratory infections, severe flea dermatitis and neglect and because of the sheer number of cats coming in local shelters are filled to capacity.
As of yet, no charges have been filed against Berkshire.