An Arizona man faces animal cruelty charges after 183 dead animals were found in a freezer, including some that were apparently frozen while alive, officials said.

Mohave County deputies and animal control officers found the animals in a garage freezer on April 3, after a woman reported that Michael Patrick Turland, 43, hadn’t returned snakes she’d lent him for breeding, the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement last Thursday.

The frozen animals included dogs, turtles, lizards, birds, snakes, mice, rats, and rabbits, the statement said. “Many of the animals appeared to have been frozen alive due to their body positioning.”

The home’s owner reportedly discovered the frozen animals while cleaning after man and his wife vacated the property.  Turland was arrested at the home when police were told he had returned to the property.    – arabnews.com