A Texas animal shelter owner was arrested after an inspection revealed she and her boyfriend were keeping over 80 dogs in appalling conditions. Officials suspect that more than 100 additional dogs may have died due to neglect.
The unsettling find at 26-year-old Ashley McFadden’s residence occurred after she requested the Tyler County Sheriff’s Office to evaluate her home as a safe space for her business, Southeast Texas Paw Patrol. This request was detailed in a report.
During a February inspection, deputies had full access to McFadden’s home, which she shared with her 28-year-old boyfriend, Timothy Brockman.
Officers noted several troubling signs immediately upon entering, such as three dogs chained up and four others running loose in the yard.
There was also a cage outside, which McFadden indicated was reserved for particularly aggressive mixed-breed dogs—one of which had previously escaped and harmed others.
The house was cluttered with dog kennels that appeared to have been neglected for days, or perhaps weeks. The sheriff’s office reported that a mother dog and her puppies were kept in a crate overflowing with their own feces.
A total of about 50 dogs were counted at the property during this initial visit.
In February, McFadden was charged with one felony count and two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to non-domestic animals.
She was released on bail, with the stipulation that she find homes for all the dogs within 21 days.
However, when investigators returned to her home in early March, they found that she had amassed even more dogs since her release.
“The smell of methane from dog waste was suffocating. There was waste in every room…it posed a clear risk to both people and animals,” the sheriff’s office reported.
Authorities estimated that the remains of 15 to 20 dogs were concealed in various plastic bags, ice coolers, and dog crates, according to the statement.
Brockman, present during the inspection, admitted his responsibility was to bury the deceased dogs.
The 54 dogs taken by the sheriff’s office were given to Who Saved Who, an animal rescue group in Montgomery County, Texas.
Additionally, other animal shelters in the Houston area rescued 30 dogs separately, bringing the total to 84. Investigators mentioned concerns that over 100 dogs might have perished at the facility.
In a post on the Southeast Texas Paw Patrol Facebook page, McFadden previously stated, “I have been rescuing precious dogs for some time,” before founding the nonprofit in December 2025.
Both McFadden and Brockman face felony and misdemeanor cruelty charges, with each held on $70,000 bond, according to jail records.
