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Karin Keyes: Author arrested for cruel confinement of over 300 animals in her filthy house covered in feces

Karin Keyes is a social worker and the author of a self-published book titled 'Journey Into Awareness: Reclaiming Your Life' 

LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: A self-help book author was charged with cruel confinement of animals after more than 300 rabbits, birds, and other animals were rescued by the authorities from a grimy New York home. The Suffolk County district attorney's office said that 'Operation Open Cage' started on October 1 when animal control officers contacted the investigators and reported a hoarding situation in the hamlet of Miller Place on Long Island. 

Animal control officials located at least 118 rabbits, 150 birds, seven tortoises, three snakes, 15 cats, and several mice on Keyes’ property, living in filthy conditions and surrounded by their own feces and urine. Some of the animals were also covered with dirt and cockroaches, the district attorney said. Many animals were also left untreated.  Karin Keyes, 51, who is the owner of the house, was charged with multiple counts of cruel confinement of animals. Keyes is a social worker and the author of a self-published book titled 'Journey Into Awareness: Reclaiming Your Life'.

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Keyes' friends often called her 'Snow White' because of her fondness for animals. “(Keyes) found out a pet store was closing and went to rescue the animals because she didn’t want them to be homeless,” friend Danielle Ward told WNBC, adding, “When she found an animal was sick or needed a home, she went and took it under her wing, and I guess it got out of control.”

Teams from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals assisted the district attorney's Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team and local officers in bringing out the animals and transporting them to New York animal welfare organizations for medical treatment. “The caregivers tripped the fire alarm, brought fire department to the scene, led to fire marshal, led to building department, led to animal control, led to district attorney, led to ASPCA,” Jed Painter, the bureau chief of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Biological Environmental and Animal Safety Team, told WNYW. “It is a terrible living environment that no animal or human should have to endure." 

"When ASPCA responders arrived on the property, it was clear that immediate intervention was necessary to remove hundreds of neglected animals from the inhumane and brutal conditions they were subjected to and provide them with expert care," said Matt Bershadker, president and CEO of the ASPCA. "The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office has developed a task force dedicated to helping animals in need, and we commend them for prioritizing efforts to stop animal neglect and cruelty in their communities. The ASPCA is proud to support their work by bringing these animals to safety and assisting the prosecutorial case through evidence collection, forensic exams, and legal and investigative support." 

"The level of cruelty and the abhorrent conditions that the animals were subjected to is beyond comprehension. The awful neglect that they were forced to endure cannot be excused or explained in any way," Brookhaven Town Council member Jane Bonner said in a statement according to Daily Mail. 'The conditions of any household with 300 animals is going to have toxic ammonia levels," said Painter.   

"Thanks to our partnership with the Town of Brookhaven, we were alerted to the deplorable conditions these helpless animals were living in and we immediately took action," said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A Tierney. "Through our partnerships with local government and rescue groups, we can work cohesively to ensure that these types of inhumane abuse of animals are addressed and those who participate in them are held accountable."