Dozens of cats and dogs rescued in Hampton animal cruelty case as more found dead

A Virginia woman faces scores of animal cruelty charges after state troopers found a car parked in a Hampton Township shopping center full of cats and dogs inside along with garbage bags of dead animals.

State police said they were called to the parking lot and arrived about 4:45 p.m. to find a Chevy Silverado pick-up truck. Inside were 25 cats and dogs and a dozen more in three crates in the bed of the truck. Troopers also discovered several trash bags in the bed of the truck with more than 30 dead cats and dogs.

Lynn Leonard, 53, of Bloxom, Virginia, returned to her vehicle parked near Marshalls Department Store at about 5 p.m. and was immediately arrested by troopers who had been called to the scene a few minutes earlier. State Police spokesman Lt. Lawrence Peele said she was initially charged with animal cruelty and released pending a future court date.

Troopers called for animal control officers and a veterinarian to respond to the scene to check the animals. While that was going on, Leonard arrived at the scene and was arrested.

Peele said the case remains under investigation and no additional information was available from state police late Tuesday.

According to information from troopers, the animals were removed from the scene by Eleventh Hour Animal Rescue, Blairstown Animal Hospital, Newton Animal Hospital and Barks Animal Rescue.

Pictures posted by one of the animal rescue groups shows the canines were mostly small "lap" dogs.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Hampton NJ animal cruelty: Cats, dogs found in Virginia woman's truck