Photo: ABC7

Authorities discovered between 20 and 30 dead cats inside an abandoned home in Herndon and are speaking with the owner.

The cats were found in the home, located in the 1300 block of Summerfield Drive, Tuesday night.

Animal control officers worked through the night to remove the animal carcasses, which were also found in the garage.

Fairfax County Police spokesperson Lucy Caldwell said animal control officers saw what appeared to be a dead cat in the window of the house at about 3:30 p.m. while they were chasing two dogs through the neighborhood. 

The Herndon Police and Fairfax County Police were called and obtained a search warrant to go into the residence.

Police said the 50-year-old woman who owns the home appears to have not lived there for some time.

The unidentified woman who owns the residence is speaking with officials, but so far no charges have been filed in this case. Neighbors say she works for a D.C. law firm and travels for work often.

"It would say it was December the last time we saw her or the car in the driveway," neighbor Tiffany Severtson said.

Authorities say that beyond the dead cats, the inside of the house was in "deplorable" condition and not fit to live in.

Barbara Harral, who lives next door, tells ABC7 she is shocked to hear about the whole ordeal as she had thought the woman only owned a few outdoor cats. She says she has never smelled or seen anything unusual around the neighborhood.

Another neighbor tells ABC7 he has only seen her a handful of times during the 10 years he's lived in the area. He says he's noticed a few cats, but never 30.

"Tthere's whole lot more to the story," Severtson said. "I believe having 30 cats in a house in already a problem."

He also said that snow just recently melted from the yard and police told him Tuesday night that the inside of the home was 'unimaginable'.

Other neighbors we spoke with described similar experiences. One also said that they haven't seen the woman since last year, but did notice a few cats and assumed someone was taking care of them.

The Board of Zoning has condemned the home.