SAUCIER, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi woman is facing over two dozen charges after more than 30 dead dogs were found on her property.
The woman was arrested Wednesday. She faces one felony count of animal cruelty and 30 misdemeanor counts of simple animal cruelty, WLOX-TV reported. She bonded out of Harrison County Adult Detention Center the same day and is set to appear in Harrison County Justice Court on April 20.
Animal advocate Connie Call told the television station she was contacted Feb. 23 about multiple dead dogs on the property in Saucier. Several of the animals had been burned; others were in trash bags, Call said.
Call said she also found an emaciated lab in a shed with no ventilation, food or water. Near the dog was a dead buzzard, she said.
The dead animals were disposed of and more than a dozen dogs that are still alive were turned over to the Humane Society of South Mississippi, Call said.
“It was heartbreaking to see these animals that had been trusted over to somebody, that a lot of people trusted with their animals,” Call said.
According to Call, the woman claimed to be running an operation called Deep South Animal Rescue. A Facebook page of that same name showed posts earlier this week seeking donations and supplies. That page has since been taken down. Multiple searches through state and federal agencies were not able to confirm whether Deep South Animal Rescue was a 501(c)(3) organization, the television station reported.
She urged people to be cautious when surrendering their pets.
“If you’re looking to surrender your animal for whatever reason, just do background checks on the person,” she said. “Don’t just give your animal to the first person that says they’ll take them because a lot of times, it’s not going to end well.”
Court documents show the arrested woman also surrendered 14 dogs she was holding on a property in Pass Christian.
For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, WLOX-TV.
