ALABAMA -- Acting on concerns from the public, the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department and the Lauderdale Animal Control officer seized nine animals from a Killen residence.
“Animal control got a call about the welfare of some pigs and our deputies assisted,” said Lt. Joe Hamilton of the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Department.
Hamilton said Deputy Lowey Davis, assisting animal control officer Dwayne Oliver, went to the residence on Lauderdale 73 and found two dead pigs.
“Plus some other animals that were in bad shape,” Hamilton said.
Oliver said the owner of the property was apparently working out of town and had been gone for a few weeks, and no one was taking care of the animals.
“The pigs were dead, they had starved to death,” Oliver said.
He said six dogs, all Great Danes, were found, along with two cats and a horse.
Oliver said four of the dogs were in very “poor” condition.
“They were turned over to Florence Animal control, who was going to get them in the care of a veterinarian,” Oliver said. “I think the dogs will make it, but they were in bad shape.”
He said the other two dogs and two cats that were seized were in pretty good shape and should be OK.
“They also had a large bird there inside the house," Oliver said. "We were able to find a friend of the family who was willing to take it.”
He said the horse was tied to a tree and had been there for a long time.
“He had plenty of hay and water, the only trouble was when the horse moved around, it would get tangled up and have to stand there until someone untangled him,” Oliver said. “When he was tangled up, he couldn’t get the water or the food.”
There was no shelter for the horse to get out of the weather, he said.
Hamilton said no arrests or charges have been filed, but the case remains under investigation.
“I just don’t understand why someone would just go out of town and leave animals like this without being taken care of,” Hamilton said.
(Times Daily - Jan 7, 2017)
