In SC’s largest seizure, 400 mistreated animals found on Upstate farm
In what is being described as the largest animal seizure in South Carolina, hundreds of emaciated animals were found on a property in rural Gray Court, South Carolina, resulting in the arrest of three people, the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday.
Two of those people are also accused of being involved in a cockfighting operation, officials said.
Authorities said they found 12 horses, 30 dogs, four hogs, three piglets, eight rabbits and about 356 chickens. A large barrel contained dead chickens, and more dead chickens were found on top of a cage.
Aldwin Roman, vice president for operations and strategy for the Charleston Animal Society, said the site was like a junkyard, scattered with old cars, trash and animal feces. Some dogs were in pens, others chained, some loose. Two beagles were in a makeshift hunting kennel full of dog waste.
Some were in a typical cockfighting layout with axles tied out with chains. None of the dogs were typical cockfighting dogs, he said. They were hounds, including a litter of puppies, and beagles. Two were Staffordshire Terriers, which are similar to pit bulls.
Roman said his agency took in 23 dogs. They were underweight but otherwise in fairly good condition. They had fleas and worms. He said some will require dental work, either because of bad food or biting on chains. Roman said the horses were removed before he got there.
The horses had overgrown hooves and bad teeth, the sheriff’s office reported. None of the animals had access to water and roosters were tied to the ground with leashes.
Laurens County Animal Control went to a house on July 16 to check on a report of malnourished horses without water or food.
Courtney Snow, public information officer for the sheriff’s office, said the animals are being evaluated now so it is unknown whether any will need to be euthanized.
She said the delay in announcing the seizure was caused by the shear number of animals on the property, which she described as a typical working farm.
Besides Charleston Animal Society, Anderson County PAWS and the Humane Society of the United States also helped remove animals from the property.
Kay Hyman, community engagement director for Charleston Animal Society, said, “From what we can tell, this is the largest seizure. All of the animals were seized.”
Residents Robert Milton Kellett III and Tina Messer Hurley were charged with 19 counts of torture of animals, one count of overworking animals, trafficking in methamphetimines, possession of a vehicle stolen from Simpsonville and receiving a license plate stolen from Spartanburg.
Kellett was charged with criminal conspiracy for cockfighting.
Jeffery Justice Dale Williams, who lived at the property, is in the custody of Spartanburg County and will be charged with 19 counts of torture of animals, one count of overworking animals and criminal conspiracy.
Additionally, two others on the property when animal control officers arrived were arrested on charges of distribution of meth. They were identified as Heidi Tenille Mathes and Jacky Dean Yopp Jr. of Enoree.
