EDINBURG -- After a year-long stay at the Upper Valley Humane Society, a collection of dogs, ducks, chickens and turtles is free to go.

The seven dogs, 43 turtles, 19 chickens, 14 ducks, two hamsters, two parrots and an iguana were interned at the humane society after their former owners, Javier and Irma Resendez, were charged with animal cruelty. An Edinburg police officer found a number of dead and malnourished animals at the Resendezes' home in December 2002. Ninety animals, including some that have since died, were brought to the humane society and stayed there while charges were pending against the Resendezes.

Javier Resendez pleaded guilty to three counts of animal cruelty Monday in Judge Rudy Gonzalez's County Court-at-law No. 1 at the Hidalgo County Courthouse. The charges against Irma Resendez were dropped in exchange for her husband's guilty plea.

Resendez's plea means the animals can be adopted, said John Vidaurri, executive director of the Upper Valley Humane Society. Virtually all of the animals have owners waiting for them.

"We have adoption applications on pretty much all of them," Vidaurri said. "We might have a parrot or two that still need a family to consider adopting."

Families that submitted applications will be contacted today, Vidaurri said.

Resendez was fined $1,500, given 18 months probation and 600 hours community service to be served at the humane society.

Daniel Paden, a cruelty case worker for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), criticized Gonzalez's decision to sentence Resendez to 600 hours community service working with animals.

"It's not a wise decision to put an abuser of any sort in close proximity of the community he's found to have abused," Paden said. "It's a disgusting decision."

PETA, a Virginia-based non-profit animal welfare group, sent a letter to the Hidalgo County District Attorney's Office earlier this month asking that the Resendezes be given jail time and psychological treatment for their offenses.

While entering his guilty plea Monday, Javier Resendez told Gonzalez he sold animals to support himself. He said the dead and malnourished animals Edinburg police found were sick.

"There was some disease," Resendez said. "It was horrible."

Resdendez's attorney, Mario Garcia, said his client felt remorse for the treatment of the animals.

"He feels badly about it," Garcia said. "It's an unfortunate incident."