What is it with animal poo news today?PALESTINE, Texas - A state trooper found 23 dogs, three cats and a chicken in a van during an East Texas traffic stop, and he said the driver and her elderly passenger were covered in animal feces.
"When I approached the van I could smell the stench 20 to 30 feet away," Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Jim Cleland told the Palestine Herald-Press in its Thursday editions. "It was then I discovered the animals." He said feces were piled up to one foot deep in parts of the van.
Robin Vanwert, 51, of Marshall, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after the Wednesday afternoon stop on U.S. 79 just east of Palestine, about 100 miles southeast of Dallas. She was being held Thursday in the Anderson County jail. Bond had not been set.
The passenger was described as an elderly disabled man and was taken to a local motel, Cleland said.
The animals were taken to the Anderson County Humane Society shelter. Virginia Hightower, a board member at the shelter, said the animals ranged in sizes and breeds. They appeared to be in good condition but will be evaluated, she said.
"We think that she was just picking up animals," Hightower said.
"It looks like the animals have been in (the van) for months," said Palestine animal control officer Terry Garner.
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