Police and humane society officials said they rescued 166 rabbits from "horrific conditions" from an Arizona shed, authorities said.
The Gilbert Police Department and Arizona Humane Society said the rabbits were recovered Aug. 23 from a shed at a Gilbert residence, KNXV reported.
Humane Society officials said the animals' cages had at least 6 inches of feces, the television station reported. Officials said they suspected the animals' owner was "breeding rabbits as a hobby to sell and to potentially butcher for meat.”
"They were being kept in wire cages with rust. The bunnies had open wounds," AHS animal cruelty investigator Ruthie Jesus told KTVK. "It's one of the worst hoarding conditions I've ever seen."
The rabbits, ranging in age from 3 months to 3 years old, are a variety of breeds, the television station reported.
One of the rabbits had to be euthanized, according to KNXV.
Gilbert police identified the owner of the rabbits as Jed Judd, 70, of Gilbert.
"No criminal charges will go forward in this exact moment," Gilbert Police Department spokeswoman Dani Covey told KTVK. "So we're waiting for the medical records to come back from the Arizona Humane Society."
Any charges could qualify as felonies, Covey said.
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