NORTH CHARLESTON — Chief Magistrate Judge Richardine Singleton-Brown sighed when explaining the importance of veterinary care to the man whose 23 sick dogs were seized earlier this month.
During the judicial hearings that followed the July 11 seizure by the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Rodney Manigault contended the dogs, like people, only needed medical visits if ill.
The dogs kept on his property were taken away after the sheriff’s department determined they were kept in unlivable conditions.
Manigault admitted at a July 18 hearing before Singleton-Brown that he did not properly maintain the dogs’ living facilities, nor adhere to recommended yearly veterinary checkups.
The dogs are used for hunting purposes, Manigault said. Singleton-Brown was quick to respond that hunting dogs are only as good as the care they receive. The judge asked how the dogs were supposed to succeed if their health was so poor.
Throughout the July 18 proceedings, Manigault frequently compared human visits to the doctor to veterinary care for dogs, maintaining the belief that doctor visits are only essential when one is in ill health.
Animals cannot advocate for themselves, they don’t have the ability to voice health concerns, therefore it is their owner’s responsibility to provide preventative care and maintain their safety in every way possible, Singleton-Brown told him.
The Charleston Animal Society took in the dogs — one walker coonhound and 22 beagles — after they were seized from Manigault’s Mount Pleasant property.
The hearings in Magistrate Court were set to determine the final custody of the dogs.
At the Charleston Animal Society, the staff veterinarians provided medical care for the animals, many of which suffered from fleas, skin conditions and missing tufts of fur, said Aldwin Roman, the organization’s vice president and chief operating officer.
At a July 18 hearing, Manigault was ordered to visit the animal society and identify eight dogs with which he said he had a personal relationship. Upon his arrival, he could only positively identify five dogs, Roman said.
One seized dog was killed by another of Manigault’s dogs at the Charleston Animal Society. Roman described it as a vicious and highly unusual attack, noting that he does not typically see that behavior in dogs.
The custody order signed by Singleton-Brown returned some of the dogs to Manigault.
Aldwin Roman of Charleston Animal Society was tasked with caring for twenty three dogs found in Mount Pleasant, Friday, July 12, 2024.
In addition to the custody issue, the judge determined what Manigault should pay for the care of the dogs while in the shelter’s care. The veterinary bill alone totaled $14,305 as of July 18, according to records provided by Roman.
The judge ordered Manigault to make an initial $500 payment to the Charleston Animal Society and ordered him to pay an additional $4,755 in monthly installments.
The final ruling followed a week of deliberations between the parties and included a home visit by the sheriff’s office to assess the living conditions of animals on Manigault’s property.
The extended proceedings meant the already inundated animal society needed to continue housing the dogs, which grew the debt.
Roman said the safety of the dogs is the society’s chief priority, but the site is not intended for boarding animals.
He told Singleton-Brown that the Animal Society does not have a department for debt collection and asked the judge for consequences should Manigault forgo payment.
Singleton-Brown ordered that if repayment is not completed within six months, Manigault will be subject to 30 days in jail and a $15,000 fine.
“All of this was preventable, given the animals were provided the essential care they deserve to begin with,” Roman said.
As of July 25, the dogs in the Animal Society’s custody were in good condition, Roman said. Some will be up for adoption soon. Arrangements are underway for the mother hound and her puppies to be placed in foster care.
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