At a blue ranch-style home in Auburn, faded Christmas decorations are left out months past December on dead, brown grass. Debris and childrens toys flank the sides of the house.

A sign on the door says, "Beware! Guard Maltese On Duty"

It is inside that residence, at 4 Buron Terrace, that police say a woman hoarded dozens of animals, selling them without the proper permits to run a kennel.

Through the years, the woman allegedly tried to circumvent officials from checking in on her and the animals inside the home, police say. There are 11 complaints against the property and the homeowner dating back to 1993, police say. Those complaints were investigated and citations were issued.

Someone reported to the Board of Health and the animal control officer that they had been in the home within the last 24 hours and was disgusted by the conditions, Auburn police said at a Wednesday press conference.

Police obtained a search warrant and on Tuesday arrived at the home, finding 61 cats and dogs -- including two litters of puppies and four litters of kittens -- living in filthy conditions.

The cats were kept in a basement void of any sunlight, according to Animal Rescue League of Boston Investigations Specialist Lt. Alan Borgal.

"That is not a place to keep cats, in a cellar area," Borgal said, noting that the area was the least sanitary part of the home.

Police announced the discovery of the animals earlier on Wednesday.

At the press conference, police confirmed that Jean Anger, one of the homeowners, would likely face charges of animal cruelty and operating a kennel without a license. Her husband, Richard Anger, may not face charges, police said.

MassLive could not successfully reach the Angers by phone on Wednesday. Their home has been deemed unfit for human habitation.

"It was extremely dirty. There was a very strong odor of ammonia," Detective Sgt. Scott Mills said at a Wednesday press conference.

The home is about 930 square feet.

"In general, the big concern, I think .. is the size of that small house with that many animals and also people," Borgal said. "In particular, the cellar had no natural light."

Police have learned that it appears Jean Anger tried to avoid revealing the number of animals living in her home and home's conditions in the past.

"When we did go there with a search warrant they did ask us if we could come back at another time that was more convenient for them, so we had an idea that what we were looking for was probably going to be contained at the home," Auburn Police Chief Andrew Sluckis Jr. said.

At previous times, Anger would not answer the door when investigators knocked even though she appeared to be home, Mills said. In other circumstances, Anger reportedly used a "large church van" to try and move animals during inspections or when selling animals. Any connection to a church between the couple is unclear.

Without a kennel license, someone can only have four dogs. So Anger produced death certificates for some dogs, trying to show that she was within regulations, Mills said.

"She's not running a kennel, so she shouldn't be selling dogs," Mills said. The woman was selling dogs through Facebook, eBay and other sources.

Dog license records online list four dogs registered at 4 Buron Terrace: Bella and Lily, both Maltese mixes, Romeo, a Maltese, and Uno, a Maltese Chinese Chin mix. All four of those dog licenses have not been paid for, according to the records.

The records also show that a previous dog citation of $50 was paid off.

The animals rescued from the home will all receive medical care, but showed signs of long-term neglect. Some are not in good condition, Borgal said.

Six kittens were in poor condition last night. They treated and will be sent to neonatal foster homes, Borgal said. One mother cat and her kittens were flea infested.

Additionally, one 8-year-old Chihuahua-type dog went into respiratory distress last night, Borgal said.

The animals need to be held for now as evidence. It is unclear if or when the animals will be available for adoption.

"This is a good example of an illegal kennel operation that's been hiding in the town of Auburn for quite some time," Borgal said.