Two Elk county residents who are facing animal cruelty charges had nearly 60 animals removed from their property last week. Now, we're learning this isn't the first time they've been in hot water because of their critters.

Billy Claycamp and Susan Lyles each face 10 counts of cruelty to animals in Elk county. But we found out before this latest incident, officials in Butler county had numerous complaints about animals the two owned, including a lion that attacked a young girl.

"It has happened again. We had this going on in our county," says Butler County Sheriff Craig Murphy. "The exotic animals weren't the only animals she had."

It's a situation Butler county officials struggled with for years. A man and a woman with several animals in Leon... some considered exotic.

"We never had any abuse of animals in our County," explains Murphy. "It was, 'We've got a danger here and then we wind up with a couple of kids bitten."

Neighbors like Carrie Marlett saw everything from horses and pigs to lions and tigers. Exotic animals like large cats can be kept, but require a special permit, which the owners did not have. A female lion later attacked two children in 1994 and by law, was put down. But neighbors say eventually the owners just up and left.

"It was a big safety and property issue," says Marlett, who lived nearby.

Those owners were Billy Claycamp and Susan Lyles, who's last name was then Richards. They are the same two people who had the animals in Elk County taken from their property in Howard last week.

"It's not a problem unique to Elk County at all," says Marla Ware, Elk County Attorney.

The two face animal cruelty charges in Elk County. Officials in both counties say they don't believe Claycamp or Lyles necessarily had bad intentions, but possibly just couldn't keep up with the responsibility.

"They fail to recognize that they're not capable of being able to care for these animals," said Ware.

"I don't think it's a malicious act," said Murphy.

But intentions aside, authorities say they're now focused on trying to get help for the animals and the individuals involved. They say if they don't, they fear this won't be the last time this happens.

KAKE news made multiple attempts to contact Lyles and Claycamp but were unable to. They never faced charges in Butler county, but Claycamp's trial in Elk county begins March 31st. Lyles first appearance is April 1st.