SHELBY, NC (WBTV) - A Cleveland County woman is behind bars Friday afternoon after investigators found 90 live animals boarded up in her mobile home, with another 50 dead animals piled up in containers.
The horrible scene out of Cleveland County ended in the arrest of Doretha Harbinson, 59, Friday morning, police say.
The bodies were found at the mobile home on Barclay Road late Thursday night.
Harbinson was charged with Cruelty to Animals and Improper Disposal of Dead Animals, according to the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office web site.
Sam Lockridge, Cleveland County Coordinator of Health Services, says the department has received years of complaints and she was visited multiple times by Cleveland County Animal Control.
Lockridge says Harbinson's animals were usually roaming free to wander in and out of the home, but thinks she put them all inside the home so Animal Control couldn't catch any of the animals.
Officials had a court order to removed 87 live cats and three live dogs. Those animals were being evaluated by a veterinarian Friday afternoon at the Animal Shelter in Shelby.
Lockridge tells WBTV that most of the animals appear to be very sick and in bad shape, and could be put down.
The Health Director will visit the property and decide if the property needs to be condemned.
