Hemet news headline from the Riverside County Department of Animal Services:

A team of animal control officers collected more than 100 small animals from a Hemet apartment Wednesday.

The officers responded to a call for service from the Hemet Police Department. Hemet police officers asked for assistance with an apartment filled with more than 50 birds and more than 50 rodents inside an apartment in the 500 block of North Santa Fe Street. A total of 132 animals were discovered.

The apartment complex is for senior citizen residents only.

The man died on Tuesday, according to police reports. The cause of death is uncertain, but the man suffered an apparent stroke outside his apartment on a stairwell, according to Animal Control Officer Caitlin Meacham, based on information she was told at the apartment complex.

It’s believed the owner of the animals bred them for sale, according to Sgt. Lesley Huennekens.  The animals were in a one-bedroom apartment; roughly 400 square feet.

“There were bird feathers and bird seed everywhere,” said Sgt. Huennekens.

Most of the birds were parakeets and doves. Officers also collected one finch. The rodents were mostly hamsters and mice of various colors such as calico or albino. There was one gecko found.

All the animals were transported to the Ramona Humane Society in San Jacinto for a holding period of 10 days.  After that hold period, the animals could then be adopted or sent to rescue groups.