30 dead dogs, cats found in home of South Carolina animal rescue CEO

The CEO of a South Carolina animal rescue nonprofit was arrested when police discovered dozens of useless animals inside her dwelling whereas investigating a grievance concerning the “scent of loss of life.”

Caroline Daybreak Pennington, the 47-year-old CEO and director of GROWL, was arrested Friday and charged with 30 counts of ill-treatment of animals after officers found the our bodies of 28 canine and two cats decomposing in cages inside her dwelling.

Richland County investigators uncovered the revolting scene whereas performing a wellness verify at her home on Could 22 after a neighbor reported a “scent of loss of life” wafting from the Columbia residence.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott mentioned the invention was one of many worst circumstances of animal cruelty he’s ever seen.

“It’s appalling and it’s heartbreaking,” Lott mentioned in a press release. “That is somebody who was entrusted by the group to look after these animals and discover them properties. She betrayed that belief and he or she betrayed the belief of those harmless animals who relied on her.”

The animals possible died from hunger and dehydration and are believed to have been useless for a major period of time primarily based on the excessive quantity of decomposition, the Richland County Sherriff’s Division mentioned.

A spokesperson for the division mentioned investigators suppose the canine and cats had been uncared for and alone within the dwelling for as much as 9 months and died inside their cages.

They had been discovered laying in their very own waste, police mentioned.

Pennington is a well known determine within the animal rescue group in Columbia, South Carolina.

Along with being the director of the animal rescue GROWL, she was additionally employed by the Kershaw County Humane Society on the time of the incident.

The group indicated that she is now not an worker in a press release.

“We had been unaware of the previous worker’s actions and are really shocked and heartbroken,” Kershaw County Humane Society mentioned in a press release. “Our devoted workers will proceed with our mission to serve the misplaced and homeless pets of Kershaw County.”

Police are additionally investigating Pennington for doable fraud as GROWL is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit group. The Richland County Sheriff’s Division is asking anybody who donated to GROWL within the final yr to contact them.