Police have found dozens of dead dogs and cats at a South Carolina animal rescue director's home. At least 30 dead dogs and cats were found in the home of Caroline Pennington, CEO and director of animal rescue organization GROWL.
Officials have found the decomposing bodies of 28 dogs and two cats in cages and crates, local news station WIS-TV reported.
Richland County Sheriff Arrested Pennington
Richland County Sheriff's Department arrested Pennington for animal abuse after 30 animals were allegedly found dead in cages and crates.
Officials have revealed that they had received a call complaining about the smell of death smell in the local area which they believed was coming from Pennington's home. When officials visited the place they found dead animals lying in their own waste.
Officials Believe That Animals Died of Starvation
Deputies at the scene believed that animals could have died of starvation and dehydration.
RCSD revealed that the animals were dead for some time so most of the animals were in a state of advanced decomposition. No living animals were found inside the home, according to WIS-TV.
Pennington Had Resigned From Kershaw County Humane Society
Reports have claimed that Pennington, who also worked with the Kershaw County Humane Society (KCHS), is a known individual in the animal rescue groups.
KCHS underlined that they were unaware of the former employee's actions and are truly shocked and heartbroken. They claimed that their dedicated staff will continue with their mission to serve the lost and homeless pets of Kershaw County.
"Earlier today, a former Kershaw County Humane Society employee was arrested by the Richland County Sheriff's Department and charged with ill-treatment of animals. To be clear, these events did not occur at the Kershaw County Humane Society facility," said KCHS said in a Facebook post on Saturday.
It also emerged that Pennington resigned from KCHS on Thursday over personnel reasons, according to WIS-TV.
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