Connecticut woman charged with 48 counts of animal cruelty

A Fairfield woman was charged with 48 counts of animal cruelty stemming from an investigation previously reported at her Steep Hill Road home, police said.

The Fairfield Police Department arrested and charged Glorianne Marie Lagnese 59, and she was released on a $5,000 bond, police said.

Nearly 50 dogs and cats — some of which needed hospitalization — were removed from the Fairfield home early this month after authorities found the residence was kept in such poor conditions that it has been deemed uninhabitable, Fairfield police said at the time.

PHOTOS: Police provide photos of animals removed from ‘uninhabitable’ Fairfield home

The investigation was initiated when a dog, covered in feces and urine, was found roaming Steep Hill Road in mid-April, according to the Fairfield Police Department. Police were contacted by a concerned citizen who said the animal had a “general poor appearance.”

Investigators then determined the animal had wandered from a Steep Hill Road residence where 25 dogs and 22 cats were found, Fairfield police said. Police said at the time they determined the animals needed to be removed from the home because of “poor conditions.”

Police said Friday that all the animals seized from her home and are being held pending a court order.

Lagnese is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on May 19, police said.