A couple has been charged with more than 680 counts of animal cruelty after authorities said they found animals living in “inches of feces” and without access to clean water on their Habersham County property.
Clarence and Teresa Bramblett each face 344 counts of cruelty to animals and one count of violation of game holding permits, according to the Habersham sheriff’s office.
The animals, which included a horse, dogs and puppies, cats, donkeys, pigs, chickens and ducks, were in need of urgent veterinary care when animal workers were called to the couple’s property, according to The Humane Society of the United States.
Habersham County Animal Care and Control officials received a barking complaint and did a wellness check before they served a search and seizure warrant about 5 p.m. April 13.
That’s when they found the animals in cages lined with torn and dirtied newspapers.
Some of the them had matted fur, skin issues and rotting teeth, according to the Humane Society.
Madi Hawkins, director of Habersham County Animal Care and Control, called the situation “heartbreaking.”
“We never expected to discover something of this magnitude in our own backyard,” she said.
About the Author
