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Five charges of animal cruelty have been filed against a Newport man accused of keeping more than 50 animals - and his mother - in filthy, unsanitary conditions.

Washington County Dog Warden Greg Sturm said five second-degree misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals were filed in Marietta Municipal Court Monday against Steven Sharp, 52, of 1815 Long Run Road, Newport. More charges are possible, Sturm said.

A week ago, Sturm, sheriff's deputies and humane officers found Sharp's 80-year-old mother, Dorothy Sharp, living in the Long Run Road house, where the floors and other surfaces were covered with nearly an inch of cat feces and urine. Lightheaded and disoriented, Dorothy Sharp was hospitalized and placed in the custody of Adult Protective Services.

More than a dozen cats were found in the house, and numerous others were located in a trailer on the property. Twenty-two dogs were taken from the property and placed in the Humane Society of the Ohio Valley's shelter.

Officials said the cats were euthanized because they had leukemia, which is contagious among felines. Other cats, that were not closed up, are still roaming the property, said Butch Morris, humane officer.

"There's probably still another 30 cats out there," he said.

Two more dogs that had been running loose were brought to the shelter by Sharp's brother, Craig, who owns the property. At least three more dogs there have not been caught yet, Morris said.

Most of the dogs taken by the Humane Society, however, were tied up, with no food or water available, authorities said.

Steven Sharp was previously charged with failure to care for an impaired individual, a misdemeanor.

There are no plans to charge Craig Sharp, Washington County Sheriff Larry Mincks said Monday, because his brother lived at the residence at least part of the time and was the one responsible for Dorothy Sharp.

Craig Sharp has been cooperating with humane officers, Morris said.

Shelter manager Steve Herron said that when the dogs first arrived, they had to be housed in a garage due to crowded conditions at the shelter. However, a rescue operation took 22 other dogs from the shelter recently, and most of the dogs from the Newport property had been moved into regular cages in the shelter as of Monday.

"They've all been able to get cleaned up and taken care of," Herron said.

Most of the animals have overcome their initial fear and are warming up to shelter workers and volunteers, Herron said, but some are still "skittish."

People in the community donated puppy food, laundry detergent, bleach and blankets after the shelter took the dogs in, Herron said. The shelter will always accept more dog food and detergent (not to mention cat food and litter), he said.

"We appreciate what the public is doing for us," Herron said.

There are other ways people can get involved, the shelter manager said.

"I always look for volunteers in the afternoon to come and walk dogs," he said.