Deputies in El Paso County found 72 exotic animals in harsh conditions inside a car during a traffic stop. The animals included a caracal and dozens of tortoises kept in containers described as cramped or too small.
Authorities arrested the driver, who crossed multiple state lines while transporting the animals.
Here's what to know
According to CBS4 Local, deputies pulled over a black Chrysler Pacifica around 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 22 near mile marker 48 on Interstate 10 East, where 48-year-old Kelli Pinnock was driving.
Deputies said the vehicle held 11 hedgehogs, 56 tortoises, two kinkajous, two guinea pigs, and a caracal.
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office said some animals were in enclosures that didn't allow normal movement because they were overcrowded or undersized. Deputies also noted accumulated waste, inadequate airflow, and limited availability of food and water.
What began as a roadside stop turned into a larger investigation after authorities determined Pinnock had carried the animals through several states and found licensing problems and restrictions connected to a prior animal cruelty arrest in Florida.
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Pinnock was booked into the El Paso County Downtown Detention Facility on five counts of cruelty to non-livestock animals, and her total bond was set at $10,000.
What's being done?
In documenting the condition of the Chrysler Pacifica, deputies cited restricted movement inside the containers, waste buildup, poor ventilation, and inadequate access to food and water.
The Sheriff's Office said it contacted federal wildlife authorities to determine whether additional violations may have occurred.
After Pinnock surrendered the animals, the El Paso County Animal Welfare Unit helped move them to facilities equipped to care for them safely and appropriately.
El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte emphasized that they don't take animal mistreatment lightly: "Animal cruelty is a serious offense that has no place in our community."
Where can I learn more?
This wasn't the only recent animal-welfare case involving animals found in unsafe conditions. Other incidents have involved deputies, police, and rescuers removing dozens of animals from cramped, filthy, or overheated spaces.
• In Texas, rescuers pulled 17 dogs, a young alligator, and a turtle from a 93-degree garage.
• In Brooklyn, NYPD and the ASPCA removed 26 animals from one filthy, cramped property.
• In Groveland, Florida, deputies rescued 85 dogs from a waste-filled home in a record impound.
• In Alberta, officers rescued 97 small-breed dogs from a home in the SPCA's largest intake.
• In Missouri, the Animal Cruelty Task Force pulled 62 cats from two hoarding homes.
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