More than 60 Animals Rescued in Deerfield Township

Authorities removed more than 60 animals — including horses, dogs, sheep, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens and a goat — living in what officials describe as unsanitary conditions Friday from a property in Deerfield Township, according to a news release and a media report.

The rescue was in response to complaints about an elderly woman who authorities say could not care for the animals, the release said. The property is in the 7000 block of Argentine Road near Faussett Road, the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus reported. Deputies picked up the elderly woman for a court-ordered mental evaluation, the article said.

“While this individual may have started out with good intentions, it seems that these animals are not receiving the socialization and veterinary care they need,” said Jill Fritz, Michigan state director for The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). “The Humane Society of the United States is proud to work with local groups to give these animals the second chance they deserve.”'

The HSUS, Livingston County Animal Control, Livingston County Sheriff’s Department and the Michigan Horse Welfare Coalition worked together to seize and arrange shelter for the animals, the news release said. Responders found the animals in need of medical care "in a dark, dilapidated barn and inside the cramped, unsanitary house," the news release said.

"The horses’ stalls were filled with feces and the cats were kept in cramped rooms with high ammonia levels," the release said.