CHILLING

Man Charged With Animal Cruelty After 183 Dead Pets Found Crammed in Freezer

Michael Turland allegedly stashed dogs, turtles, lizards, and other animals, some of which were reportedly frozen while “still alive.”

An Arizona man has been arrested after authorities found 183 dead animals in a garage freezer, some of which had apparently been “still alive” when he allegedly stashed them there, according to Mohave County authorities. Dogs, turtles, lizards, birds, snakes, mice, rats, and rabbits were reportedly found in the “large-sized chest freezer,” the sheriff’s office said Thursday. The pets’ corpses were discovered in a home that 43-year-old Michael Turland and his wife, Brooklyn Beck, had previously rented from the property’s owner, who found the animals while cleaning up. The Associated Press reported that the owner then contacted a woman from whom Turland had borrowed several snakes. The woman then alerted authorities, saying she believed several of the dead animals belonged to her. “When interviewed, Turland admitted to placing some of the animals in the freezer while they were still alive,” the sheriff’s office said. Turland was subsequently charged with 94 counts of felony animal cruelty. The search for Beck remained ongoing as of late Thursday.