Hermine leads to discovery of felony dog abuse

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Hurricane Hermine’s effects led to the discovery of a  possible felony dog abuse case in Tabor City.

Officials said they found it Saturday around 9:30 p.m. A limb from the storm fell and damaged a dog pen just enough to for one of the dog’s to escape. Neighbors called and complained about the stray dog.  Tabor City Police and Columbus County Animal Control  found dogs kept without food, only fetid water to drink and mounds of feces inside their pens at an abandoned house on Floyd Street. Police said some of the dogs had been without food for so long they were eating the feces mounds in the cage.

Animal Control wants to charge each owner with 5 felonies per dog, under North Carolina General Statute 14-360, 5 class 2 misdemeanors per dog per owner NC GS § 14-361.1 and 5 class 1 misdemeanors under NC GS 130A-185, failure to obtain a proper rabies vaccination.

Shelter Director Joey Prince said that based on the condition of the dogs fur they had been underfed for some time.

“There is just no excuse for this type of treatment of animals. 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.”

The dogs were kept in pens behind the house. Prince said some of the pens were barely big enough for the animals to turn around in.

The investigation is continuing as Animal Control has reason to believe that more animals were kept in these conditions at the property very recently.