The Colony couple charged with animal cruelty after 88 animals seized from their home

THE COLONY, Texas - A couple from North Texas is facing multiple criminal charges after investigators said they found animals living in deplorable conditions inside their home in The Colony.

The Colony Animal Cruelty Charges

What's new:

On Tuesday, The Colony police arrested Brandy Bristol and Jeremy Bristol.

They were each charged with 12 counts of animal cruelty, which are third-degree felonies.

If convicted, they could face up to 10 years in prison for each charge.

88 Animals Seized in The Colony

The backstory:

Earlier this month, The Colony Animal Services rescued 24 dogs, 45 cats, 12 reptiles and seven mice from a home on the 4800 block of Alta Oaks Lane.

The dogs seized ranged from small to as large as a bull mastiff. Some of the cats were kittens. The reptiles included snakes, turtles and tortoises.

Sgt. James Barfield with The Colony Police Department was one of the officers who responded to the home. He described the conditions inside the house.

"They were, I would call them deplorable. They were some of the worst conditions that I’ve ever seen inside of a house. Pretty much every room of the house had animals in it. They were not being cared for properly," he said.

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Animal rescuers describe disturbing conditions of The Colony home: 'Dead cats in the freezer'

It was revealed in court that it was the couple’s own children who reported their parents to The Colony Animal Services. The city attorney showed 154 photos that, in his words, would shock the conscience.

During a court hearing, investigators revealed they found 21 dead cats in trash bags in the Bristol’s freezer.

The judge ultimately gave custody of all the animals, including the six that the couple had hoped to regain custody of, to The Colony animal shelter and other nonprofit animal welfare organizations.