VINTON, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa couple who kept hundreds of animals in and outside their home have been given two years of probation for child endangerment. Benton County court records say 36-year-old Marshall Galkowski and 38-year-old Barbara Galkowski have pleaded guilty. They received deferred judgments, which mean their convictions can be removed from court records if they complete their probation terms.
Among the terms are limits on how many animals they can have in their Vinton home: fish, one dog, two cats and up to an additional six small animals inside the residence in a properly maintained cage.
In January officials found hundreds of animals in the Galkowskis’ house and garage, including rabbits, rats, mice, hedgehogs, turtles, birds, guinea pigs, gerbils and a ball python. Several carcasses also were found.