Parents charged after children found in squalor, dead animals in freezer

Two parents are facing a string of charges after police found a child locked in a room and two dogs, a cat, a rabbit, five parakeets and one turtle dead in a freezer.

Police investigated the Tennessee house after receiving reports of three children living in extremely poor conditions.

Upon arriving for a welfare check, Soddy Daisy police officers discovered feces and clutter across the property before eventually discovering the freezer full of dead animals.

Dustin Tallent and his wife, Staci, were arrested and charged with aggravated child neglect.

Dustin’s father, Wallace Tallent, played down the severity of the situation, putting it down to “poor housekeeping” - police disagreed.

“There's no criminal activity or criminal intent here. It's a matter of very, very poor housekeeping," Tallent told local reporters.

Various other animals were found alive but also living in squalor.

The Humane Educational Society of Chattanooga was called in to help rescue the ones still alive.

"We saw that there was definitely a dire situation with these animals. Animals at a minimum have been neglected. They're full of parasites," Bob Citrullo, HES Executive Director said.

They're now treating four dogs, three cats, one rabbit, a snake, and a lizard. Family members said they didn't realise the couple had so many animals.

Newsbreak – June 27