More than 20 malnourished dogs with a variety of ailments were removed from a Santa Ana home after a code enforcement visit Tuesday, according to police.

In response to a complaint, officers went to the home in the 2200 block of West 14th Street about 9 a.m., Santa Ana Police Department spokesman Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.

There, they found 20 to 21 dogs of various breeds suffering from malnutrition, mange and scabies, Bertagna said.

A member of the family who lives in the home was confrontational with police and OC Animal Care officers who were called to the home, Bertagna said.

The woman who owned the dogs took them in from the streets to care for them and was trying to do the right thing, her son Antonio Arechiga told KTLA.

“They make it seem like me and my mom and … whoever else lives here are criminals, but we’re not. We actually take these dogs in,” Arechiga said. “We keep them and we bathe them. The backyard’s clean. I always change the water every day.”

He said he didn’t want to let Animal Care officers in because they did not have a permit, but authorities said his mother gave officers permission to enter. He recorded an expletive-laden video of his confrontation with officers.

The family was devastated by losing the dogs, Arechiga said.

The animals, including five puppies, were taken to an OC Animal Care shelter for treatment.

Scabies, a highly contagious mite infestation, has spread to all the dogs, according to police Animal Services Supervisor Sondra Berg. Some dogs had their eyes swollen shut with the disease.

The case will be submitted to the District Attorney’s Office with a request for charges of animal cruelty, Bertagna said.