CLAY CITY, Ky. (LEX 18) — 24 animals and four children were removed from a home after a complaint from school officials led to law enforcement finding "deplorable and uninhabitable" conditions inside the home.
According to an arrest citation, a deputy from the Powell County Sheriff's Department went to the home after staff members from the Powell County Middle School visited the home and reported the conditions.
When the deputy arrived, he was met with the extreme odor of animal feces and saw "countless" dogs running around on the porch, also covered in feces.
The deputy says that one of the larger dogs reached through a porch and bit him on the leg. The deputy also said that he could tell that the parents were under the influence, and they later admitted to using methamphetamine.
Children were also observed on the porch appearing dirty as if they had not been bathed in some time.
Upon entering the home, the deputy says the smell got worse, causing them to have to go back to their car to get something to place over their face. Inside the home, the deputy said that "every inch of the floor area in every room was covered in animal feces and urine."
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Trash, dirty clothes, bugs, and other unknown materials were also found inside, according to the citation.
It was also reported that the home did not have running water which would prevent the children from getting proper hygiene care and the dogs from having drinking water. The deputy also noted that he did not see any dog food.
In total, 24 animals, which were reported to be mostly malnourished, were taken from the home along with the four children.
The parents, identified as 42-year-old Matthew Bowen and 35-year-old Lonetta Daniels were placed under arrest and charged with two counts of first-degree abuse of a child 12 or under, two counts of first-degree criminal abuse, and 24 counts of second-degree cruelty to animals.
The children's ages ranged from 14 to five, and according to the citation, social services transported them with the intention of turning them over to another family member.
