TABOR CITY, N.C. (WECT) – Hermine led to the discovery of a possible felony dog abuse case in Tabor City.
During the storm, a branch fell from a tree and damaged a dog pen. One of the dog’s escaped. Neighbors then called and complained about the stray dog.UPDATE: NC woman charged after Hermine leads to discovery of felony dog abuse in NC town
The investigation led authorities to an abandoned home on Floyd Street. There, they found five dogs in pens with no food, only fetid water to drink and mounds of feces inside their pens. According to Columbus County Animal Control, some of the dogs had been without food for so long they were eating the feces mounds in the cage.
Animal Control plans to charge each owner with five felonies per dog, five Class 2 misdemeanors and five Class 1 misdemeanors.
“There is just no excuse for this type of treatment of animals,” said animal shelter director Joey Prince. “Based on the condition of the dogs fur they had been underfed for some time. We intend to prosecute to the fullest extent possible that the law allows.Had these people come to us for help, we would have been glad to assist. However, to just abandon these animals and leave them there without food or clean water is just unconscionable.”
Prince said the dogs were kept in pens behind the house. Some of their pens were barely big enough for the animals to turn around in.
The five dogs are now being cared for.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Prince said animal control believes more animals were kept in similar conditions at the property recently.
