In One Texas Man's Home, 230 Animals

They're "the kind of people that we start watching for that may transition away from animals to humans." So says Constable Alan Rosen following Saturday morning's raid on alleged animal abusers in Harris County, Texas. Roughly four dozen officers fanned out across the region, making 13 arrests as part of Operation "Don't Be Cruel." Some of the cases were extreme, said Rosen in a police conference on the raids. ABC News quotes Rosen as saying more than 230 animals were found "living in deplorable conditions" in Edmond Megdal's home, with creatures ranging from birds to bearded dragons to turtles in the home with no water.

Those conditions were known to authorities, who had been working with Megdal since March in an attempt to better his animals' care, reports KHOU. That didn't happen, and he was arrested, as was Tony Carodine, 25, who was filmed throwing a dog with great force and punching it in the face; a vet found fractures in two of the dog's legs. Those charged with the Class A misdemeanor of animal cruelty can face up to a year in jail and a fine of $4,000 if convicted. (This remains one of the most shocking animal cruelty cases we've covered.)