104 Cats Found Inside Arizona Home, 10 in Freezer

In a case of animal hoarding in the extreme, sheriff's deputies found a house full of diseased and dying cats in Wittmann, Ariz., including 10 that died after being left in the freezer.

The owner, 80-year-old Lucienne Touboul is accused of hoarding 104 cats, some of them kittens. There was no air conditioning in the home, and the cats had been living in deplorable conditions.

"Some cats are mildly infected, other cats are severely infected to the point where they can't get up," says Dr. Nancy Bradley.

"It's pretty typical of a hoarder situation, you go in and the smell of ammonia is overwhelming. In most of the litter boxes, there's no litter it's paper -- so the smell of urine and feces is overpowering."

MCSO Sgt. Matt Summers says Touboul threatened to kill deputies if they touched her animals. She's is facing numerous animal abuse charges.

A veterinarian from the Animal Humane Society had to euthanize all the living animals, which were so diseased that they were already blind or suffering ruptured corneas, severe respiratory ailments and feline leukemia. The 10 cats found in the freezer were already dead.

Three years ago, deputies responded to the same house in Wittman for cat hoarding. At that time, 70 cats were found at Touboul's home.

Many of those cats also had to be euthanized, and the others were placed in rescue homes. A judge had ordered Touboul not to own any more animals, which she apparently defied.

Sheriff Arpaio didn't take the woman to jail; instead he says Touboul needs physical and mental help. She was taken to a hospital for an evaluation.

First reported by MyFOXPhoenix.com