Dead dogs, cats found in home of animal rescue CEO Caroline Pennington

The CEO of a nonprofit animal rescue is going through animal cruelty charges after authorities found dozens of lifeless dogs and cats in her South Carolina household, authorities noted.

Caroline Dawn Pennington, the 47-year-previous director of GROWL, a nonprofit corporation, is charged with 30 counts of ill-remedy of animals, in accordance to the Richland County Sheriff’s Division.

Deputies arrested Pennington on May 22 whilst carrying out a wellness look at at her household with Richland County Animal Manage, soon after a neighbor claimed a “smell of death” emanating from the Columbia house.

Once they arrived, the section reported, deputies confirmed the odor, entered the house and discovered 28 pet dogs and two cats decomposing in cages and crates inside of.

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The animals had been lifeless for a very long time, according to investigators, and likely died from hunger and dehydration.

Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott called the discovery appalling and heartbreaking, and reported it was one of the worst situations of animal cruelty he had ever observed.

“This is another person who was entrusted by the group to treatment for these animals and obtain them homes,” Lott mentioned. “She betrayed that trust and she betrayed the rely on of these harmless animals who relied on her.”