MORGAN CITY — A woman accused of animal cruelty was arrested after Morgan City Police said they found 14 dead cats in her freezer.

Police said that they were called for a welfare check on the residents of a McDermott Drive home on Thursday. When police arrived, they found several perishable items at the front door delivered in the past few days lying dormant by the door.

While trying to get inside, officers said they saw what was clearly a dead cat inside the house paired with a strong odor coming from inside.

Eventually, the home's occupant, 71-year-old Sheri Hite, was questioned about the dead pet. When officers entered the home, they were met with "an unbearable odor" and found more dead cats throughout the home.

Police returned the next day to find eight cats in the home and 14 other dead cats in a freezer. A live cat was found and turned over to animal rescue.

When questioned by police, Hite said she recently picked up cats from the Baton Rouge area and explained the frozen cats were kept to be later disposed of after they died.

Hite was then arrested and charged with 23 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. She remains incarcerated in the Morgan City Jail.