Woman Arrested After Police Find 37 Dead Dogs on Property Believed to Be an Animal Rescue Center

A woman has been arrested after 37 dogs were found dead in a property in Basildon, England.

On Wednesday, June 4, Essex Police confirmed in a press release that a 25-year-old woman from London had been charged with suspicion of animal cruelty.

According to the BBC, the animals were found in an address believed to be an animal shelter.

“A woman has been arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty as part of Basildon Neighborhood Policing Team’s ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the discovery of 37 dead dogs in Billericay,” the police’s release read.

Officials added, “Working with the RSPCA, we helped to recover 21 live animals. This discovery followed a joint visit by Essex Police, the RSPCA and Basildon Council to a property in Crays Hill last month.”

“The 25-year-old woman from London was arrested this afternoon (Wednesday 4 June) and is currently in police custody,” the police continued. 

The statement added that further investigations at the address are being carried out by Essex Police and the RSPCA. This came after officers received “information received by a member of the public.”

Essex Police told PEOPLE in a statement that the woman has been released on conditional bail, but added that their investigation is still ongoing.

PEOPLE also reached out to the RSPCA for further comment, but they did not immediately respond.

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“The remains of four further animals were identified when buildings were dismantled by the landowner, with liaison with Essex Police, since the original scene was stood down on 14 May,” the release continued.

Authorities added that they were removing the remains, with the Basildon Neighborhood Policing Team identifying if there was any link to the police’s investigation.

“We understand the concerns of the local community. We would ask people not to speculate and allow us to carry out our complex and thorough investigations,” Inspector Steve Parry from the Basildon Neighborhood Policing Team said in a statement. 

Authorities revealed in a previous release that they had arrested two men on “suspicion of fraud, relating to transfer of ownership of dogs, and animal cruelty offenses.”

While one of the suspects was released on conditional bail, 25-year-old Ovaeed Rahman was charged with “causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal, an offence contrary to Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the duty of person responsible for animal to ensure welfare and three counts of fraud by false representation.”

He also stood before Southend Magistrates’ Court on May 15 and will remain in custody until his next hearing, which will take place at Basildon Crown Court on June 9, according to the BBC.

“Since the creation of a dedicated portal through which the public, we’ve seen a large number of reports submitted and each of the submissions are being reviewed by officers,” a release from authorities shared on May 16 read.