DANIA BEACH, Fla. – Officials in Broward County were trying to find homes for about 60 dogs Friday after they said a domestic violence arrest led them to uncover a hoarding situation.
Deputies arrested Raymond Christian Ledbetter, 62, of Dania Beach, Thursday evening.
Authorities said the dogs were living in filthy, crowded conditions and were not very well socialized with people.
The dogs are being placed up for adoption at the Broward County Animal Care and Adoption Center on Southwest 42nd Street.
Officials there described them as timid, underweight and scared.
“They weren’t particularly socialized and it was a pretty closed off home,” Emily Wood, with Broward County Animal Care and Control, said. “I don’t think people were coming, going -- they’ve never had visitors before, so they were pretty afraid of us. We try to keep the stress levels as low as possible when we do something like this, but we are catching dogs who are very afraid of us.”
Neighbors near Ledbetter’s home described him as a “menace” who was always fighting with everyone.
He reportedly hid the dogs, even not allowing his family to see them.
Authorities say Ledbetter was beating his wife and drilled a door shut to keep her from leaving their house.
Ledbetter faces dozens of animal cruelty charges.
Officials said one dog actually had to be euthanized at the home while another had to be euthanized because of severe medical complications.
They said one dog was dead inside the home and said it appears that some of the other dogs might have been feeding on it.
Ledbetter was being held on a $74,000 bond on about 100 charges.