The manager of a Tails of Courage Animal Rescue in Danbury pleaded not guilty to charges that she left animals in her care living in squalor.
State Animal Control officers say 30-year-old Krystel Lopez was arraigned on two counts of animal cruelty.
Officers say they found dogs, cats and rabbits living in unsanitary, small cages with no water.
The News Times reports the facility was also cited for a rat infestation and a burst pipe.