A Pleasant Hope family is allegedly behind the state's largest case of animal abuse and neglect.
The Polk County Sheriff's Department and the Missouri Humane Society raided 80- acres of land Tuesday where more than 300 animals were being kept in what police call "deplorable" conditions.
Neighbors have known for years and some finally complained.
The sheriff's department and the humane society have been investigating these people and the situation since May.
So has the state; six children were removed from the property last week.
The owners were asked to make changes to the way they kept their animals then.
They did not, and so now those animals are being removed and a family member is facing criminal charges.
"The dogs that would come down to our house were mangy-looking, losing their hair, skin and bones."
Justin and Cayla Woodmansee knew there was a problem, but still- they were shocked when they saw hundreds of sickly animals carted off their neighbors' property.
“It's a terrible thing,” Cayla says.
“It’s definitely one of the worst that I have seen,” says Brian Williams, an inspector for the humane society.
But officials were forced to put their emotions on the backburner while they got down to business- removing and treating dozens of different species of animals- dogs, cats, donkeys, horses, rabbits, goats, pigs, pigeons, parrots, parakeets- from 80 acres of land off Highway H in Pleasant Hope.
The animals were kept a ways down this very narrow dirt road.
The family also had a trailer house back there.
Now the sheriff's department had the road blocked off and the family refused to talk to us.
Like their owners, the animals lived in trailers and inside cages on the verge of collapse.
Others roamed free, in an area police describe as trash-filled and filthy.
“Horrible- one of the worst places I've ever been in in the county,” says Sheriff Steve Bruce.
The Woodmansees agree; they say there were animal carcasses inside the family's trailer.
What began as an act of kindness- taking in strays- has, Cayla says, turned into a tragedy.
“At least now they're doing something about it so the animals can maybe get better.”
Police says 61-year-old Virginia Gambriel is the property owner.
Her children and grandchildren all lived in trailers on her land.
Right now she has been charged with two counts of child endangerment, but more charges are expected.