In 2014, authorities seized 92 dogs and 28 cats from Golden S Rescue in Anderson Co, SC. Charges brought against the rescue’s owner were dropped in exchange for surrendering the animals and an agreement to allow random inspections on the property in future. Last month, Anderson Co ACOs were conducting such an inspection when they discovered 53 dogs and 7 cats allegedly being cared for improperly. The rescue’s owner has been charged with 60 counts of ill treatment of animals, 54 counts of failing to provide proof of rabies vaccination and a charge relating to the possession of methamphetamine. Let the uh, rescuing begin:
After seeing the photos online, many people contacted the Anderson Co sheriff’s office to request an investigation into the handling of the dogs by ACOs. But it doesn’t sound like that will be happening:
Lt. Sheila Cole, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office, said she thinks people react to the photos without knowing anything about the case. “I think once we have explained to people that our officers were dealing with aggressive, unvaccinated dogs, they have been understanding of why they handled them the way they did,” Cole said in an interview.
If these ACOs received official training that instructed them to handle unvaccinated, aggressive dogs as is depicted in these photos, I’ll eat my hat. I don’t need to know anything about the case to know that what’s happening in those photos is wrong. The fact that it isn’t obvious to Anderson Co authorities is troubling. (Thank you to everyone who sent me links on this story.)