ANDERSON COUNTY — Anderson County Sheriff’s Office deputies have charged a Liberty couple in connection with the mistreatment of almost 100 animals.

Wade Everette Patterson, 40; and his wife Faith L. Patterson, 36; face 92 charges of animal maltreatment, according to a sheriff’s office release. They operated Bird Dog Rescue and adopted dogs at the location, the release stated.

Wade Patterson turned himself in on Friday afternoon, and Faith L. Patterson was in a medical facility and will be served with the warrants after she gets out, according to the release.

Investigators found 177 dogs, one cat and one bird at the 131 Bagwell Road location.

“They were all scattered throughout the property,” Major said. A few of the animals were dead, while others were stacked on top of each other in kennels, he said.

The Bagwell Road location has a Liberty zip code address, but it’s in Anderson County.

The animals were taken to the Anderson County Animal Shelter, and a veterinarian examined several of them.

Usually, the county’s Department of Public Safety would have handled this type of call, but the sheriff’s office investigated it this time. But the complaint was made against a woman who had an estranged spouse who was a DPS employee, according to the sheriff’s office release.

Deputies don’t expect to make any more charges.