POCAHONTAS COUNTY, Iowa — Four people have been charged in connection to an animal neglect case where law enforcement and animal rescue groups discovered several dogs in a feces-filled home and camper in August.

On August 14, the Pocahontas County Sheriff’s Office, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, and the Moffitt Animal Shelter responded to a home in the 100 block of Main Street in Palmer for a report of animal neglect.

According to the ARL, rescue personnel discovered several dogs inside of a house and several more trapped inside a bathroom of a camper on the property. Court records describe the camper as “unsanitary, with feces and urine covering the majority of the floor and bathtub.” The home was also described to be in similar condition, “with large amounts of animal feces and urine covering the floors.”

In total, the sheriff’s office said they removed 14 dogs from the property.

The ARL said the dogs had varying health issues at the time of the rescue, which included severe matting, hair loss, skin issues, and overgrown, curled nails.

On Monday, the sheriff’s office announced that four people had been charged with animal neglect in connection to the case. They include:

• 61-year-old Bernadette Tevalan-Hernandez, six counts
• 42-year-old Grace Gonzalez, three counts
• 51-year-old Armando Sosa, one count
• 19-year-old Andrea Gonzalez, one count

According to court records, both Grace and Andrea pled guilty to the charges and were ordered to pay fines. Tevalan-Hernandez is scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial conference on October 1. A pretrial conference is also scheduled for Sosa for September 24.