Instead of spending their Friday night unwinding from a long work week...Animal control director Jim Crosby and his team were trapping dogs in Calhoun County.

By midnight on Friday the team had captured 28 dogs, two cats and one bird.

Apparently the home belongs to a woman by the name of Diane Perry, age 69, who is also a bank robbery suspect.

(Photo courtesy of WJHG News Channel 7)  Perry's been in jail since she was arrested Thursday for attempting to rob a the Regions Bank in Blountstown.

Allegedly she demanded money while claiming to have two guns.  Employees called police who arrested her.  No weapons were ever found.

After hearing of the woman's arrest another Calhoun County resident, Patti Wood, knew Perry had a plethora of animals...So out of concern for them she contacted the woman in jail who then gave her permission to take responsibility for them.

But since Calhoun County doesn't have an animal shelter, Wood contacted Bay County Animal Control.

"Oh i'm so thankful to jim Crosby and the bay county animal control and i really don't know what would have happened to the dogs had they not come to their aid," says Wood.

The search of Perry's home turned up dozens of animals living in deplorable conditions.

The home has very little electricity and no running water.

The floors are blanketed in moisture from urine, feces and a leaking roof.

Many of the animals were either found roaming around on these unsanitary floors or locked up in dog cages

The majority of them are small designer dogs, including Pomeranians, Chinese Crested, and Lhasa Apso's.

As for the owner of all these dogs it appears she'll only be facing the bank robbery charges.

"At this point we're not interested in pursuing charges she's got much more on her plate than the animal hoarding situation and she's been cooperative and wanted them to taken care of," says Crosby

The animals are being evaluated today and tomorrow by Crosby and his team and should be ready for adoption by Monday.

Bay County Animal Control is typically closed on Mondays, but in order to find the animals homes by Christmas they'll be open from 10 to 3.  They can be reached by phone at 850-767-3333.

Update 12/23/08:  All the animals have been adopted.

Reference:

WJHG News Channel 7