The CEO of a South Carolina animal rescue not-for-profit was jailed when authorities discovered lots of dead animals inside her house while examining a problem about the “odor of death.”
Caroline Dawn Pennington, the 47- year-old CEO and director of GROWL, was jailed Friday and charged with 30 counts of ill-treatment of animals after officers found the bodies of 28 pet dogs and 2 felines breaking down in cages inside her house.
Richland County private investigators discovered the revolting scene while carrying out a health check at her home on May 22 after a next-door neighbor reported a “odor of death” wafting from the Columbia home.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott stated the discovery was among the worst cases of animal ruthlessness he’s ever seen.
” It’s dreadful and it’s heartbreaking,” Lott stated in a declaration. “This is somebody who was turned over by the neighborhood to look after these animals and discover them houses. She betrayed that trust and she betrayed the trust of these innocent animals who depend on her.”
The animals most likely passed away from hunger and dehydration and are thought to have actually been dead for a considerable quantity of time based upon the high quantity of decay, the Richland County Sherriff’s Department stated.
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A representative for the department stated private investigators believe the pets and felines had actually been ignored and alone in the house for approximately 9 months and passed away inside their cages.
They were discovered laying in their own waste, cops stated.
Pennington is a widely known figure in the animal rescue neighborhood in Columbia, South Carolina.
In addition to being the director of the animal rescue GROWL, she was likewise utilized by the Kershaw County Humane Society at the time of the occurrence.
The company showed that she is no longer a worker in a declaration.
” We were uninformed of the previous staff member’s actions and are genuinely surprised and sad,” Kershaw County Humane Society stated in a declaration. “Our devoted personnel will continue with our objective to serve the lost and homeless family pets of Kershaw County.”
Police are likewise examining Pennington for possible scams as GROWL is a signed up 501( c) 3 non-profit company. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department is asking anybody who contributed to GROWL in the in 2015 to call them.
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