CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) -- More than 150 farm and domestic animals were rescued from a residence and garage in Cheektowaga, the SPCA announced Friday.
Thursday morning, SPCA officers responded to a residence on Colton Street for a welfare check on a dog reported to be on the property.
During the welfare check, the SPCA said officers "heard noises and detected foul orders coming from the garage" on the property. Officers observed several farm animals "living in squalor" inside the garage.
Following a search warrant, officers found approximately 140 animals in the garage, estimated to be 20-by-20 feet in size. Over 100 of the animals are chickens, said to have been found inside two makeshift pens, one being 3-by-4 feet and one being 5-by-7 feet. The SPCA said the pens were packed with feces.
The SPCA said they rescued 117 chickens, 18 ducks, two goats, and one pig from the garage, along with seven rabbits from an outdoor hutch on the property.
Two dogs, one cat, and eight more rabbits were rescued from inside the Colton Street residence.
The owner of the residence, Karissa Schmidt, was issued an appearance ticket for Cheektowaga Town Court and faces animal cruelty charges.