Woman Arrested After 14 Dead Dogs Allegedly Found in Home, Including 11 in Refrigerator and Freezer: Police

Margaret Elizabeth Nevils, 41, was arrested on a charge of animal cruelty

A woman was arrested in Georgia after authorities allegedly found more than a dozen dead dogs stuffed into a refrigerator and freezer unit in her home.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office arrested Margaret Elizabeth Nevils, 41, of Grovetown, Ga. on a charge of animal cruelty, according to The Augusta Chronicle, The Augusta Press and WJBF-TV.

According to an incident report obtained by The Augusta Chronicle, the sheriff’s office said that they received a call on Thursday from a concerned neighbor who had not seen Nevils or anyone in the home since October. Deputies tried to reach Nevils over the phone, but no one answered.

Police said when they went to the home to investigate, they found the home in bad condition, with the floor covered in animal feces and furniture destroyed, the incident report states, per WJBF-TV and The Augusta Press. When they inspected the kitchen, they allegedly found blood seeping from the refrigerator, according to the report, per The Augusta Chronicle.

When they further investigated the home, they allegedly found bags in the refrigerator and freezer containing several dog carcasses. The bodies of three dead dogs were found in the refrigerator and the body of an adult dog with seven puppies were found in the freezer, according to the incident report.

Further investigation allegedly revealed three more carcasses of dead dogs in various stages of decomposition in the master bedroom and empty dog cages and shredded furniture in a spare bedroom, The Augusta Press reported, citing the incident report.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Police also noted in the incident report that they found a live female pit bull on the property that had appeared to have chewed a hole through the wall separating the kitchen from the garage. Animal services were called to the scene to address the animal’s health, The Augusta Chronicle reported.

The animal hospital where the pit bull was taken told the outlet that the dog was malnourished and weighed in at 37 lbs. She also had scars on her face, fractured teeth, a bleeding tail and dandruff.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Deputies located Nevils, who had been staying with a friend in Columbia County, and arrested her, though she eventually was let out on $5,100 bond, according to the outlets.

It's not immediately clear if she has entered a plea or retained an attorney.

Maj. Steve Morris alleged to The Augusta Press, “She worked in Richmond County, and we questioned her. She was involved in some adoption service. That is still under in investigation. She stated she became overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do, and she abandoned the dogs.”

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.