Officials removed about 60 sick animals including chickens, pigeons, parakeets and rabbits from a home on Chadbourne Drive Thursday afternoon.

An estimated 200 animals were being hoarded in the house according to Sheila Marquis, humane officer with the Humane Society of Greater Dayton. The 60 animals that were removed were considered ill and therefore removed first. They included week-old baby chickens and baby bunnies.

Marquis said the Humane Society got a tip that there may be some animals in need of help in the home. They decided to remove the animals when they discovered that the living conditions both inside and outside of the home were not acceptable for the animals.

The animals removed Thursday will be treated at the Humane Society initially, but Marquis said they hope to make contact with some shelters who can help house the animals as well.

“”We’ll try and come back out and help (the resident) some more to get some more of the animals out,” she said. They hoped to return on Friday to continue the process.

One man lived in the house alone, but was reportedly receiving help from some other individuals.

Neighbors said the problem has been going on for a while and it was hard to see animals in the man’s backyard not being cared for. One woman who did not want to be identified said during hot weather a stench could be smelled coming from the yard.

Marquis said the conditions in the home could be hazardous to the resident as well as the animals. “Anytime you are dealing with animals like pigeons, there are always going to be health concerns. They carry diseases. It’s airborne, so every time he breathes, he is exposed to airborne disease.” She said there is likely no danger to neighbors because they are not in a confined space with the birds.

Although animal hoarding cases are not rare, Marquis said they’ve been seeing more cases involving animals other than dogs and cats.

“It’s not geared towards one animal anymore. It’s not geared to just your cats and your dogs, were finding it in exotic animals,” she said.

The resident, who was not identified by the Humane Society, could face citations from the city for zoning infractions or animal cruelty charges but none were issued Thursday.

The residence, 7043 Chadbourne Drive, falls under R-4 in the city’s zoning map.

Agricultural animals are not permitted to be kept or maintained on properties that are under that designation, according to Huber Heights’ city code. According to Montgomery County Auditor’s records the home is owned by Janet Simpson and Cynthia Domansky of Dayton.

Staff writer Steven Matthews contributed to this story.