Metro-Atlanta woman arrested by Tybee police for aggravated cruelty to animals

The police then secured an arrest warrant for Marban on a felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals. The police posted a wanted poster for Marban on its Facebook page and asked for the public’s to find her. The post was shared more 2,000 times in less than 24 hours, the police said. Then, the story went viral across media outlets throughout the country.

Animal welfare

The puppy's plight has shocked the greater Savannah-Chatham community.

Tybee Island mayor Shirley Sessions, who served on the board of the Humane Society for Greater Savannah  for six years, said, "That somebody thinks it's okay to throw [puppies] in the ocean, for whatever reason, is just as hard to understand. I feel pleased that the police officers were able to identify that person."

In Georgia, animal cruelty is legally defined as an act to "cause physical pain, suffering, or death by any unjustifiable act or omission," including failing to provide for an animal's adequate food, water, sanitary and physical conditions. "Aggravated cruelty" includes maliciously causing physical harm or death to an animal. Animal cruelty has been a federal offense subject to fines and up to seven years in prison since 2019, when President Trump signed into law the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, which expanded a 2010 law. Until then, animal cruelty was determined on a state-by-state basis, and in many states, including Georgia, a first offense was only a misdemeanor.

"I would like to see more convictions of animal abuse because everybody knows — whether it's domestic violence and serial killers or people who harm others in vicious ways — it often starts with animal abuse," said Sessions. "I think that education can be part of stopping that, that type of problem, or that type of behavior, that’s definitely the ideal. Society is not gonna have it. And Tybee is not gonna have it. People can not bring their animals here [and harm them] without severe consequences."

Sessions suggested pet owners who can’t take care of their pets put them up for adoption.

The nonprofit Humane Society for Greater Savannah accepts pets for adoption, said Montana Tohm, development and foster coordinator for the organization.

During COVID-19, Tohm said, the HSGS expanded its pet food pantry so that pet owners who were having trouble purchasing food or pet supplies because of lost income still could meet those needs. The organization holds monthly food drives, where they give donations and pet food, and provides low-cost spaying and neutering services. On a case-by-case basis, HSGS helps with pets’ medical bills.

Credit: NSMN

Credit: NSMN

Through its surrender program, HSGS accepts pets that can no longer be cared for adequately for adoption. The adopted pets tend to filter in through different outlets, such as Chatham County Animal Services or pet owners. To put a pet up for adoption, the owner simply has call and schedule an appointment with HSGS.

“We help them through that process which can be quite a difficult process for some people emotionally as well,” Tohm said. “We never place judgment on people who have to surrender their pets to us, it is really important that the community knows that surrendering a pet can be a very difficult decision and we understand that."

Pet adoptions  can be “quite busy" throughout the year, said Tohm. March through October is “kitten season,” when a larger population of kittens are born. This influx results in a backlog of pet adoption appointments. During that time, Tohm said Chatham Animal Services and other animal rescue organizations could hold onto a pet until HSGS's adoption program schedule clears.

Local pet rescues, however, cite a staggering rise in pet owners surrendering their pets over the past year and a half.

Lisa Scarborough, director and founder of Coastal Pet Rescue, said her nonprofit can’t keep up with the requests they receive every day from pet owners trying to put their pets up for adoption.

“We try to step in and help as much as we can,” Scarborough said. “But our issue is that people are treating their pets as incredibly disposable and no longer fits their lifestyle, so get rid of it and get rid of it as fast as they can.”

It's been one of the worst years Scarborough has experienced. She receives 20 phone calls per day, 17 or 18 of which are pet owners inquiring whether Coastal Pet Rescue would accept their pet for adoption.

Scarborough called the influx of adopted pets “definitely a statewide issue.” For the last six months, she has been doing nothing but “fielding phone calls and emails to people who want to give up their animals.”

Coastal Pet Rescue keeps up to 100 rescued animals at a time. All spots are full right now, and the organization's waiting list is at capacity.

“We're living in such a disposable society and these animals are being so easily cast aside,” Scarborough said. “And it's heartbreaking and it's disheartening. And we can't keep up, and every day feels like a loss.”

If you or someone you know is struggling to care for a pet or you find abandoned animals, please contact:

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Metro-Atlanta woman arrested by Tybee police for aggravated cruelty to animals