7 Children Found Living With Two Dozen Rats; Parents Call Them 'Garbage Disposals With Legs'

The parents of seven children in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, who were found living in "deplorable" conditions have been charged with multiple felonies, according to a report.

The two parents, identified as 47-year-old Shane Robertson and 37-year-old Crystal Robertson, of West Rockhill Township, were charged with seven counts of endangering the welfare of children, ABC7 New York reported. Their children range in age from 4 to 16.

The investigation into the couple began after police received a report of children being seen entering an abandoned trailer in the Green Top Trailer Park on April 23, according to a news release by the Pennridge Regional Police Department.

Police who responded to the trailer found one of the children, a 12-year-old girl. She told the officers that she had a blanket to keep her pet rats warm because her family doesn't have enough money.

The child and her 14-year-old sister, who appeared from behind the property after officers arrived, were both not properly dressed, with the older girl's clothes full of stains and appearing dirty, police said.

When the officers went to talk to their parents, who were living in the trailer next door, police said they found their living conditions "deplorable," and their refrigerator was mysteriously padlocked.

The mother told police that the reason why they locked their fridge was that their children were allegedly "stealing" food and called them "garbage disposals with legs," according to an affidavit cited by ABC7.

Police later returned with an investigator from the Bucks County Children and Youth. They found that there were more children in the rear bedroom in the trailer home, where feces could be found in several places and some of the walls and floors were dilapidated and in need of repair.

There were at least two dozen rats in cages, according to police. Multiple other animals like dogs and snakes were also found.

Police concluded that the living conditions of the children were "unsanitary and essentially unsafe," and they were immediately taken into protective custody.

The kids were taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation, which found that most of them were malnourished, with some having low kidney function, according to police.

Two of the children needed "extensive" dental treatment, while others needed eyeglasses, officers said.

Police also said that the children exhibited social anxiety and didn't like to be in public or around other people.

They also said that none of the kids had attended school and that they lacked basic education. Several of them reportedly did not even know when their birthday was.

The Robertson couple has been temporarily freed after paying 10% of the $100,000 bail.