After a pit bull was rescued from a Georgia home where 14 dogs and puppies were found dead, the owner told investigators that she became “overwhelmed” running an animal rescue and abandoned the property and canines, local authorities told Newsweek.
Margaret Nevils, 41, of Grovetown, Georgia, was arrested on January 5 and charged with felony cruelty to animals, according to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).
The sheriff’s office discovered the dogs the day before after receiving a phone call from a woman last week who said she hadn’t seen her neighbor, Nevils, at her Grovetown home since October, according to a CCSO incident report obtained by Newsweek.
Court records did not list an attorney for Nevils who could speak on her behalf.
Cassidy Harris, spokesperson for Columbia County Animal Services, told Newsweek in an interview that the age of the surviving pit bull was unknown.
“The pit bull was taken to Hill Top Animal Hospital for evaluation,” Harris said. “The medical report from Hill Top Animal Hospital states the dog was malnourished, had scars on her face, fractured teeth, bleeding tail, and dandruff. She weighed 37lbs when taken for evaluation.”
Columbia County Animal Services
The pit bull is recovering at the county shelter, Harris said.
“We are waiting on what the next steps look like from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office as to when or if the dog can be released and available for adoption,” she said.
While conducting the welfare check on January 4 at Nevils’ home on Magnolia Parkway in Grovetown, CCSO Deputy Tyler Bultman did not receive a response after knocking and ringing the doorbell but was able to see through the windows of the residence, according to the report.
“I noticed that the floor was covered in animal feces, and the furniture was destroyed,” the deputy said in the report. “A small pit bull ran from the back of the residence to the window, and I noticed that this pit bull was emaciated.”
The deputy then contacted Columbia County Animal Services for assistance and walked around the property and found that the surviving pit bull had chewed through walls.
“I went to the backyard and saw that most of the floor in the kitchen area was also covered in feces,” Bultman said. “I also noticed that the walls had holes chewed through them where the pit bull had been chewing. The pit bull had chewed through the kitchen wall to the garage as well.”
The deputy forced entry into the residence, citing the condition of the home, and the inability to make contact with the homeowner and the neighbors stating it had been roughly three months since they last saw anyone there.
Dana Csira with Animal Services entered the home first to retrieve the surviving pit bull.
Once the dog was removed, Bultman and another deputy entered the house where they “noticed that blood was seeping from the freezer section of the refrigerator,” according to the incident report.
In the primary bedroom, the deputies said, they found three deceased dogs on the floor in “various stages of decomposition.” In another bedroom, there were multiple empty dog cages with a piece of furniture that was “shredded,” Bultman said in the report.
In total, the deputies discovered 14 deceased dogs in the home, finding three in a bedroom, three in the refrigerator and eight in a freezer, CCSO Major Steve Morris told Newsweek in an interview. Seven of the remains were puppies, he said, adding that no human remains were found on the property.
Columbia County Sheriff’s Office
Nevils on January 5 was found at her workplace, where she was arrested and brought to the Columbia County jail.
Morris said that when Nevils was questioned about the deceased animals found at her Grovetown property, she told investigators she “was in the rescue and adoption business and became overwhelmed and did not know what to do other than abandon them.”
She has since been released from custody on a $5,100 bond, Morris said, noting that the case is still under investigation.
“Necropsies will be performed and then our District Attorney will decide how many counts will be taken before a Grand Jury,” Morris said.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.