JEFFERSON COUNTY - When nearly 200 rabbits were seized from a shed in late July, investigators say one rabbit was dead inside, several were sick and they had a lack of food and water.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office released the affidavit detailing the seizure on Wednesday.
On July 21, a Crime Stoppers tip led authorities to the shed in Jefferson County. In all, 193 rabbits were taken out of the shed behind Debe Bell's home near 75th Avenue and Taft Street.
She faces 25 counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty.
The arrest affidavit says the rabbits were pulled from filthy conditions and some were so badly covered in matted hair that they could not relieve themselves easily. A veterinarian told investigators there were 75 percent more rabbits inside the shed than the space allowed.
The affidavit says the rabbits were housed in "inhumane and cruel" cages that had wire floors where "the rabbit's feet slip through and get caught on."
The rabbits were taken to the Foothills Animal Shelter which has stopped adopting out the animals because Bell has filed for a court order to halt the process.
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