A woman in Bacon County has been arrested on animal cruelty charges after authorities said they found nearly 150 dead dogs and cats on her property.
Bacon County sheriff’s officials arrested Terri Lynn Taylor on Tuesday and charged her with two counts of animal cruelty.
Last Friday, deputies went to Taylor’s home at the request of an animal rescue group that had come to pick up some of the animals that the woman had taken into her care. Taylor had served as a foster home for animals for years and worked with various animal groups, news reports say.
When police arrived, they were shocked by what they found.
Bacon County Sheriff Andy Batten told WTOC that he had never seen anything like it.
“We have 20 live dogs, three of those in critical condition, two live cats. We recovered 64 cat carcasses and 43 dog carcasses. Those are preliminary numbers, they’re approximates,” Batten said.
Guardians of Rescue, a New York-based animal welfare group, arrived on scene to help officials evaluate and document the animals. The group took custody of the surviving animals and is working to rehabilitate them and find new homes.
On Wednesday, Taylor was released from jail on $50,000 bail.
Authorities say several more criminal charges could follow.
About the Author
