Idaho woman charged after 58 animals rescued from home

MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho – An Idaho woman was arrested Thursday after authorities rescued 58 animals from her 600-square-foot home, most of them Papillon toy dogs.

Kathleen Schweikert, 60, of Mountain Home, now faces 58 counts of animal cruelty, according to a press release.

She was also cited for 48 counts of unlicensed dogs, operating without a commercial kennel license and exceeding the limits on number of animals set by city ordinance.

It’s unclear it she’s has an attorney who can speak on her behalf.

The Idaho Humane Society said it assisted firefighters who had to wear hazmat gear and oxygen masks to air out the home from potentially toxic levels of ammonia from urine and fecal waste.

They recovered 55 dogs and three cats.