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BEAUMONT, Texas — A Beaumont woman faced a judge after 11 animals were seized from a hot home on Shivers Drive last Friday.  

Investigators said they were locked in cages with no water and no working air conditioning. The temperature reached 95 degrees that day and the heat index was 112 degrees.

RELATED: 5 dogs, 6 cats found severely malnourished, seized from hot Beaumont home

Beaumont Animal Care brought photo evidence and the owner spoke to the judge on Thursday.

The owner of the animals wanted more time before deciding to turn over her pets, but Justice of the Peace Ben Collins said after listening to the evidence, she needed to decide today to pay the hefty fines or sign over her ownership rights. "We need to send a message that this needs to stop, we have seen it over and over in different cases," Collins said. Last Friday, Beaumont Animal Care officers seized six cats and five dogs from a home on Shivers Drive. The home had no working air conditioning, meaning no relief for these 11 animals. “I remember it being hotter in the house than outside. We actually stepped outside to talk to her,” said Jami Levergne, Beaumont Animal Care officer. The temp topped out at around 91 degrees. Inside the home were trash and debris, creating a terrible odor.

RELATED: Woman says she is innocent after the death of a puppy found locked in a metal cage in Groves

Meanwhile, the health of the dogs and cats is called into question because they were all just so skinny. “This is the worst one I have seen in the four years I have been JP,” Collins said. “I did 38 years of law enforcement before that and that's the worst case I have seen. “ The City of Beaumont has rules about how many pets you can keep.

You are only permitted to have eight. So, this Beaumont pet owner was breaking the law by having 11. Conditions were so bad that all of the dogs had a parasite and the cats suffered from ear mites.

RELATED: Viral video shows dog in Mid-County locked in metal cage with no relief from the heat

RELATED: 'It’s heartbreaking' | Woman charged after 10 neglected dogs rescued from Newton County home “We are glad of the outcome of this case the animals were awarded to the City of Beaumont,” said manager Matthew Fortenberry with Beaumont Animal Care. The pet owner was emotional in court Thursday while speaking about her love for these 11 animals. “I think the best thing for the animals was to be taken in by the City of Beaumont, to be adopted out,” Collins said. If you feel overwhelmed or are in need of help taking care of your pets, reach out to your local shelters to see if there are assistance programs.

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