Walker, Louisiana – A Louisiana woman must answer to the court after 17 cats were found dead in a pet store with indoor temperatures around 100 degrees.

Per reports by The Guardian, 29‑year‑old Madison Rebecca Colello is facing trial for dozens of animal‑cruelty offenses.

The woman turned herself in on Thursday morning at the Livingston municipal jail in Walker, Louisiana.

The charges stemmed from a disturbing discovery. Police followed the woman's tips and subsequently inspected a local pet store called Waffles Way Home.

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When officers entered the building, they encountered temperatures nearing 100 degrees. Dozens of cats and kittens were locked inside, with no access to food or water.

Seventeen of the animals were found dead, and the remaining twenty were rescued in a state of severe distress, investigators said.

"The cats and kittens who were allegedly the responsibility of Ms Colello obviously suffered a terrible fate,” Walker police chief David Addison told the news outlet. “The number of animals affected by the cruelty is heartbreaking.

“Our department intends to send a clear message that this kind of abuse will not be tolerated in Walker," the chief added.

According to officials, the area where the cats were kept was hygienically clean, but the extreme heat and lack of veterinary care had severe consequences for the felines.

The police and charitable organizations organized rapid emergency assistance for the surviving animals.