Courtesy photo
PICKENS — A woman has been arrested after a complaint of animal abuse lead Pickens County deputies to end up seizing over 150 dogs in an alleged “puppy mill” operation.
According to Pickens County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chad Brooks, on Monday, Feb. 7, the PCSO’s Animal Enforcement Unit initiated an investigation into a complaint of animal neglect at 281 Tater Hill Mountain Road in Pickens.
“Animal Enforcement Deputies immediately responded to the location and attempted to make contact with the property owner,” said Brooks. “While at the residence, deputies observed several well-fed dogs living in poor conditions and could see further down the property that there were additional dogs living in kennels.”
On Tuesday, deputies with the Animal Enforcement Unit returned to the property and executed a search warrant to document the living conditions of the animals, he said.
The findings of the search were presented before a judge on Wednesday, Feb. 9, and warrants were issued on 68-year-old Judith Lynn Brown for two counts of Ill-Treatment of Animals – 1st Offense and one count of Animal/Rabies Control Chapter Violation.
Brown, who cooperated through the course of the investigation, turned herself into the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office’s Detention Center on Feb. 9, he said.
The following day, Animal Enforcement deputies with the PCSO, in conjunction with the Pickens County Animal Shelter, Pickens County Building Maintenance, Anderson County Paws, and the Charleston Animal Society 166 dogs from the property.
“I would like to thank the Pickens County Animal Shelter, Pickens County Building Maintenance, Anderson County Paws, and the Charleston Animal Society for assisting our deputies with the removal and placement of the animals,” said Sheriff Rick Clark. “It is a testament to what teamwork and cohesion can accomplish when agencies work together. The amount of time, effort, and resources that are tied up in these types of cases cannot be understated, but I am grateful for the dedication of our Animal Enforcement Deputies and the other entities that came to our assistance to ensure the well-being of these animals.”
The dogs have since been transported to the Pickens County Animal Shelter and other area shelters, where they will be held pending a disposition of the criminal case, Brooks said.
Pickens County Administrator Ken Roper said, “We want to thank the Pickens County Sheriff’s Animal Enforcement Unit, led by Lt. Anthony Raines, for their unprecedented work in this concerning case. How a society treats its most vulnerable creatures speaks volumes, and we are so heartened by the assistance from other counties such as Anderson and Charleston as we deal with the influx of these precious animals that are now in our care.”
Reach Kasie Strickland at 864-855-0355.