Gena Sullivan, Savannah-Chatham police spokeswoman, said officers were sent to a house on 6902 Howard Foss Drive after a neighbor called Animal Control. She walked in the neighborhood and had noticed a bad smell and did not think anyone had lived in the house for some time, but could hear dogs barking.
Over a span of a week or two police officers had responded to the home a couple of times. They discovered a dead animal in a wood line near the residence and assumed the smell the neighbor was complaining about was coming from it.
On Tuesday, Animal Control officers responded to the residence and could see the conditions inside of the house because the dogs had ripped the curtains down.
It was obvious to them nobody was living there.
A notice was placed on the door by Animal Control giving the owner 24 hours to respond. When they did not, officers contacted the owner of the property. He in turn gave them the name of the tenant, Kirby Campbell, who was contacted and gave police permission to enter the residence.
Once inside, officers found 10 dead dogs in different states of decomposition. Some were just skeletal remains, and there was evidence the dogs were forced to eat each other to survive.
Nine of the dogs were removed from the house and taken to the emergency clinic to be evaluated. The dogs that were able to be medically released have been taken to Animal Control and will be evaluated for adoption.
After a request by Animal Control to come to police headquarters, Campbell did so and was arrested on numerous charges.
He has been charged with state charges of 10 counts of felony aggravated cruelty, nine counts of cruelty to animals, 19 counts of abandonment. City ordinance citations include one count of keeping of animals sanitation, one count of distance of animal ( too many animals), and 19 counts of no shots, no tags.
Campbell was transported to the Chatham County jail.
This is an ongoing investigation and more dogs may be found, Sullivan said.
(Savannah Now - April 26, 2012)
