DAVIE COUNTY, N.C. — A Mocksville man has been charged with animal cruelty after officials found 11 emaciated and neglected dogs in his home on Friday. Officials say those dogs are now recovering at Davie County Animal Services, hoping to get adopted soon.
Small, skinny and almost skeletal-like is how Davie County Sheriff’s Office Director of Animal Services Lisa Nielsen described those dogs when they first came into the shelter. It’s been a couple days now and she said they’ve been doing much better.
“We’re already seeing improvement; ribs are filling in, they’re bright, they’re happy, they’re bouncing,” Nielsen said.
Deputies with Davie County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services said they found the dogs after executing a search warrant at a home on the 400 block of Hobson Drive in Mocksville.
“They found 11 very underweight chihuahua-type dogs,” Nielsen said. “One was in immediate danger, so he was transported directly to the vet’s office. The other ten were brought here.”
Nielsen said they’ve been working since then to get the dogs back to a healthy weight, but it’s been hard to witness.
“It’s always difficult,” she explained. “We do this work because we love animals, and seeing animals in that type of condition is very difficult.”
And she urged anyone who feels like they can’t take care of their pets to ask for help.
“There are programs in the community: we offer a food pantry here we have a wonderful low-cost spay/neuter clinic here in the county. And if you are in over your head, we will accept donor surrenders. You know, there are options,” Nielsen said.
Deputies said warrants were served for 30-year-old Nathan Lee Tanner of Mocksville on Saturday. The warrants were for one felony count of cruelty to animals and 10 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals.
Tanner received no bond on his release order due to other charges in other counties. He has a court date scheduled for Sept. 26.
Luckily, Nielsen said the dogs have been doing better since getting to the shelter – in part, thanks to donations and support from the local community.
“Most of these guys are really pretty friendly. They’re scared obviously; they don’t know what’s going on, why they’re here,” she said. “But they’re really responding well to the attention that the staff is giving them.”
All of the dogs are being housed at Davie County Animal Services. They are currently accepting food donations at the shelter, as well as monetary donations in-person or online. If you’d like to adopt one or donate, you can find more information here.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
