THEIR
THEIR FAMILIES SAY THEY HAD NO IDEA.
IDEA.
IDEA. NEW
IDEA. NEW TONIGHT--
NEW TONIGHT-- NEW TONIGHT-- WE
NEW TONIGHT-- NEW TONIGHT-- WE'RE GOING
IN-DEPTH ON AN ISSUE
WE SEE FAR TOO OFTEN-- ANIMAL
CRUELTY.
CRUELTY.
CRUELTY. MOST RECENTLY, WE REPORTED ON
FOUR ANIMAL CRUELTY CASES WITHIN
*8
FOUR ANIMAL CRUELTY CASES WITHIN *8* DAYS!
*8* DAYS!
*8* DAYS! ALL IN LAURENS COUNTY--
THESE FOUR PEOPLE YOU SEE ON
YOUR SCREEN
YOUR SCREEN ARE JUST SOME OF THE SUSPECTS
CHARGED--
CHARGED--
CHARGED-- WE TALKED WITH THE LAURENS
COUNTY SHERIFF
WE TALKED WITH THE LAURENS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
FOR MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY
COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOR MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE
SEEING AND HOW *YOU CAN HELP.
Of course, it
SEEING AND HOW *YOU CAN HELP. Of course, it's concerning to
see cases like this pop up
continuously. Unfortunately, it
is something that we
continuously. Unfortunately, it is something that we've seen a
lot of those rural communities
too. Why is that?
I guess in the rule, moral
commitment unities it is easier
to hide because there
commitment unities it is easier to hide because there's more
land that
to hide because there's more land that's more spread out.
You can put stuff behind stuff
with behind other stuff. And so
when it
with behind other stuff. And so when it's spread out like that
it
when it's spread out like that it's easier to hide in a rural
community and less likely that a
neighbor may see or hear
something.
something. And even when these animals were
found recently, there were so
many that the shelter there in
Laurens County was at capacity.
So I know some of those animals
had to be sent to pause there
and Anderson you know, what is
something that people can do to
help out we know foster
adoption, but donations are also
so so important.
That
so so important. That's true. It costs a lot of
money to do these operations to
properly care.
properly care. We
properly care. We're not going to take them out
as a bad situation. I
We're not going to take them out as a bad situation. I'm not
giving you here.
Donations, always important to
donate.
donate.
donate. They all help out. volunteers to
come help walk dogs are very
much appreciated.
much appreciated. We get that much of an influx we
still have the same amount of
staff.
staff.
staff. And now when it comes to animal
cruelty, laws and fines and
things that we see, this is
something that it seems the
state of South Carolina has
struggled with. We know a lot of
states are similar with with
similar laws, and we continue to
see a lot of people always ask
us, Well, why aren
see a lot of people always ask us, Well, why aren't these
charges more harsh or why? You
know, why don
charges more harsh or why? You know, why don't things change?
Do you have an answer for that?
What What can we do as a state
to make sure this doesn
What What can we do as a state to make sure this doesn't happen
again?
again?
again? Or
again? Or as a state, we need to
contact our local lawmakers.
There
contact our local lawmakers. There's legislation going
through the house in the Senate
on the state level now, that
through the house in the Senate on the state level now, that's
being supported by large
agencies such as the Humane
Society, the United States to
get better animal cruelty laws
right now as far as state
statutes go, we have a 90 day
misdemeanor and a five year
Philippi and there
misdemeanor and a five year Philippi and there's nothing in
between. So we need more
specific laws and no, we need
them to be prosecuted. One club
is done with the case. We need
prosecutors that will prosecute
these cases and people actually
deserve some time so it is not
just a slap on the wrist. Right?
Yeah, that
just a slap on the wrist. Right? Yeah, that's the biggest thing.
It seems like sometimes they
Yeah, that's the biggest thing. It seems like sometimes they're
just hit with a fine and then
they
just hit with a fine and then they're going to repeat that
behavior. You know, what are you
doing as an agency specifically
in Laurens County, right now to
try to break up what we
in Laurens County, right now to try to break up what we're
seeing when it comes to the
influx of animal cruelty cases.
Since I
influx of animal cruelty cases. Since I've been here and with
our shares opinion is the same
that we have a zero tolerance
for animal cruelty and if you do
that, you
for animal cruelty and if you do that, you're gonna be charged
for a very well may end up in
jail. And, you know, so we
aren
jail. And, you know, so we aren't as opposed to it because
it is so rampant. We
aren't as opposed to it because it is so rampant. We're also out
there.
there.
there. Putting we
there. Putting we're also making sure
that not all our animal control
deputies are trained in this. We
also work as a team with the
other deputies, partners. So
some of these cases we found
because the deputy was on scene,
non stop is paying attention to
their surroundings and what
non stop is paying attention to their surroundings and what's
going on.
going on.
going on. Yeah, and especially being in
like you mentioned earlier,
those rural communities. It does
go unnoticed sometimes. So
again, it seems like for a lot
of neighbors out there, the best
thing that they can do is to
they see something to say
something to reach out to the
Sheriff
something to reach out to the Sheriff's Department. Is there
anything else that you would
recommend for the public to do
if they suspect animal cruelty?
Sure, if you suspect our guilty,
just like you said Tori is we
need to call a lot of snow. Give
us as many details as you can.
If you don
us as many details as you can. If you don't want to give your
name. That is fine. A lot of
times it
name. That is fine. A lot of times it's helpful if you
name. That is fine. A lot of times it's helpful if you'll
just give your name to a we can
call it out to you if we need
more details, but we never
release our complainants name we
don
release our complainants name we don't go off and say well so and
so called or your recall that
anything like that. So we don
so called or your recall that anything like that. So we don't
release that out. So having a
contact number we can contact
you back we have more questions
is important. But if you just
absolutely don
is important. But if you just absolutely don't think you want
to do that, just call and you
can remain anonymous. Let
to do that, just call and you can remain anonymous. Let's go
out and see if something you
can remain anonymous. Let's go out and see if something you're
seeing turns out not to be
cruelty, then that
seeing turns out not to be cruelty, then that's fine. But
if you don
cruelty, then that's fine. But if you don't say something that
nobody
if you don't say something that nobody's gonna know for sure.
Speak up and and lastly, you
know, from your time with the
agency, what have you noticed,
maybe change, have things
progressively gotten worse when
it comes to these animal cruelty
cases? Has it gotten better? I
think that
cases? Has it gotten better? I think that's something that a
lot of people would like to
know.
know.
know. It
know. It has gotten better in the
sense that people are we
It has gotten better in the sense that people are we're
getting more calls about it, but
it
getting more calls about it, but it's because people see I
believe that we
it's because people see I believe that we're going to do
something about it. We
believe that we're going to do something about it. We're not
just gonna be like, Okay, thank
you, you have a good day and not
do anything about it. The cases,
you really are trained not to
compare one to the other. Each
case is his own individual case,
and we let those circumstances
show us what we need to do with
that.
that.
that. But
that. But I will say for the animals
in our county, it
But I will say for the animals in our county, it's gotten
better because we
in our county, it's gotten better because we've gotten so
many out of harm
better because we've gotten so many out of harm's way. So in
that sense, it has gotten better
because people are willing to
call us trust us and talk to us.
And then we
call us trust us and talk to us. And then we're actually going to
do something to make it better
for the animals in this case.
It
for the animals in this case. It's building that relationship
in that trust. Absolutely.
Sergeant Jeff Brown, Lawrence
County Sheriff
Sergeant Jeff Brown, Lawrence County Sheriff's Office. Thank
you for that insight today. We
Thank you for that Sheriff
you for that insight today. We Thank you for that Sheriff's
Office. Lawrence County Sergeant
Jeff Brown, trust. Absolutely.
relationship in that It
Jeff Brown, trust. Absolutely. relationship in that It's
building that
building that animals in this case.
make it better for the animals
in this case.
It
in this case. It's building that relationship
in that It
It's building that relationship in that It's building that
animals in this case.
make it better for the to do
something to we
make it better for the to do something to we're actually
going talk to us. And then call
us trust us and people are
willing to better because sense,
it has gotten way. So in that
many out of harm
it has gotten way. So in that many out of harm's we
it has gotten way. So in that many out of harm's we've gotten
so better because county, it
many out of harm's we've gotten so better because county, it's
gotten animals in our But I will
say for the
need to do with that.
show us what we those
circumstances case, and we let
is his own individual the other.
Each case to compare one to
really are trained not The
cases, you anything about it.
The cases, you really are
trained not to compare one to
the other. Each case is his own
individual case, and we let
those circumstances show us what
we need to do with that.
But I will say for the animals
in our county, it
But I will say for the animals in our county, it's gotten
better because we
in our county, it's gotten better because we've gotten so
many out of harm
better because we've gotten so many out of harm's way. So in
that sense, it has gotten better
because people are willing to
call us trust us and talk to us.
And then we
call us trust us and talk to us. And then we're actually going to
do something to make it better
for the animals in this case.
It
for the animals in this case. It's building that relationship
in that trust. Absolutely.
Sergeant Jeff Brown, Lawrence
County Sheriff
Sergeant Jeff Brown, Lawrence County Sheriff's Office.