Nearly 100 chickens were found allegedly kept in deplorable conditions at a home in Westbury, on Long Island, and the homeowner is now facing charges, according to News 12.
Police say officers who were responding to a house fire found dozens of the chickens in crates at the home on Mist Lane.
A neighbor, Ron Caruso, said he called 911 on Tuesday morning after seeing the fire.
The Nassau SPCA said nearly 100 of the birds had been kept in unhealthy conditions, and once they were discovered, Humane Long Island came to take them in.
Rescuers said the enclosures had no food and that the water was absolutely feces-ridden.
Police arrested the 44-year-old homeowner, who is facing 66 counts of torturing or injuring animals and failure to provide sustenance.
Officials said about 60 of the chickens were juveniles, most of them still peeping, and that it remains unclear what the birds were being used for. The surviving chickens are up for adoption to people who can legally own the animals, and the homeowner is scheduled to be in court in August, with no word yet on what caused the fire.