Colleton County woman ran nonprofit “rescue …”

A South Carolina magistrate judge sentenced a Summerville woman to ten days behind bars on animal neglect charges in a case involving the horrific treatment of animals by a woman purporting to run a rescue sanctuary.

Kimberly Brianne Couture, 42, was sentenced by magistrate judge Elbert O. Duffie after she pleaded guilty last month to 39 counts of failing to provide care to animals and one count of failing to properly dispose of a deceased animal. Couture’s plea followed several hours of testimony by veterinarians, animal control officers, a shelter volunteer and a horse rescue representative.

Duffie sentenced Couture to ten days in jail for one of the horses, ten days in jail for one of the dogs and a day in jail per animal for the remaining 37 animal charges – with these sentences running concurrently. He also imposed a $200 fine for the improper burial or disposal of a dead animal.

Acting on a tip from a concerned citizen, on May 26, 2022 Colleton County officials obtained and executed a search warrant on a property rented by Couture on Running Creek Lane in Cottageville, S.C. This property was leased by Couture as a sanctuary for an animal rescue nonprofit, “Healing Hearts from Sole to Soul.”

When officers arrived on the property, they found numerous animals in deplorable conditions.

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“Many of the animals were in very poor body condition and most were living in poor conditions, including piles of old feces, dirty water and little to no shelter for the dogs,” a release from Colleton County’s animal services division noted. “Additionally, the remains of at least two animals were found at the fence line of a neighboring property covered with used cat litter and other refuse.”

Animal control officials took custody of 61 animals including 20 goats, 15 dogs, 13 cats, six horses, one calf and two chickens.

Colleton animal services director Laura Clark praised the efforts of her staff and volunteers who “worked several hours per day for weeks to feed and provide medical care and improve the living conditions for the animals until they could all be removed and new homes could be found.”

As for the sentence, she said it sent a “strong message that failure to follow the state laws and county ordinances in Colleton County will result in consequences.”

This media outlet has broken several animal neglect and cruelty cases recently. Anyone with information on similar cases is urged to reach out to us in addition to contacting local law enforcement or their local animal control office.

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THE PRESS RELEASE…

(Colleton County)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.

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