Mohave County deputies and animal control officers found the animals in a garage freezer on April 3 after a woman said Michael Patrick Turland, 43, had not returned the snakes he had lent him for breeding, his office said. Sheriff in a statement on Thursday. The freezer was in a house that Turland had previously rented in Golden Valley, a rural community in western Arizona.
Frozen animals include dogs, turtles, lizards, birds, snakes, mice, rats and rabbits, the statement said. “Several of the animals appeared to have been frozen alive due to their body position.” The sheriff’s office said they were being held in a “large freezer”.
The owner of the house allegedly discovered the frozen animals while cleaning after Turland and his wife emptied the property. The owner then contacted the woman who notified the Sheriff’s office, the statement said.
Turland was arrested at home Wednesday when he told lawmakers he had returned to the property, the office said.
“When interviewed, Turland finally admitted to putting some of the animals in the freezer while they were still alive,” the statement said.
The court records do not mention a lawyer who could comment on behalf of Turland, who was arrested on 94 counts of animal abuse.
