Woman With 17 Dogs Said to Perform Autopsy

The woman also allegedly told Beavers she had performed an at-home autopsy on one of the frozen dogs to determine how the animal had died, hoping she could prolong the lives of her other dogs.

"She has no malice whatsoever. She loves these animals. She thinks they are like her children," Beavers said.

Deputies said the stench of trash and dog feces in the home was overwhelming.

"When the deputies arrived, the smell about knocked them out," he said. "They couldn't even go into the house."

Thirteen surviving dogs were taken to an animal control facility. Two others ran away.

A friend of the woman telephoned deputies after phone calls to the woman went unanswered for a few days, Beavers said.

The woman, whose name wasn't released, was taken to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Behavioral Health Unit for evaluation, Beavers said.

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