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The dog, which Randazzo described as a \"friendly\" and \"social\" Maltese mix, was inside of the woman's car with several ill cats when animal control arrived, Randazzo said.

Many of the cats were inbred and pregnant when they were seized, Randazzo said. Most were in poor health and had not been vaccinated, Randazzo said.

The woman told animal control officials that she was running a cat sanctuary and most of them were feral and living outdoors before she brought them into the home.

At first, the woman would not sign over ownership rights to animal control, Randazzo said. While she was being treated at the hospital for an infected cat bite, Randazzo visited her there, and she finally agreed to waive ownership of all of the animals except for the dog, which was taken to Florida to live with her brother, Randazzo said.

\"PHOTO:
WXYZ
PHOTO: Macomb County Animal County seized 88 cats, a dog and a beta fish from a home in Mount Clemens, Michigan, where a woman in her 60s was being evacuated.
>

All of the cats have been placed in rescues that work with animal control, Randazzo said. In hoarding situations, the animals are often not adopted quickly because they need more time to \"decompress\" and socialize. But they will be placed up for adoption eventually, he added.

None of the neighbors knew about the animals, as the front and side windows were blocked off, WXYZ reported.

\"PHOTO:
WXYZ
PHOTO: Macomb County Animal County seized 88 cats, a dog and a beta fish from a home in Mount Clemens, Michigan, where a woman in her 60s was being evacuated.
>

The incident was Macomb County's third large-scale animal seizure in about a month-and-a-half, Randazzo said.

\"PHOTO:
WXYZ
PHOTO: Macomb County Animal County seized 88 cats, a dog and a beta fish from a home in Mount Clemens, Michigan, where a woman in her 60s was being evacuated.
>

The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office filed felony animal cruelty and neglect charges against the woman on Monday, Randazzo said. Prosecutor Eric Smith described the case as \"deeply disturbing\" and vowed to prosecute the case to the fullest extent under the law.

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