- North Carolina, USA -
The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said that 24-years-old GRACE CHARLENE HORNE is facing animal cruelty charges following an investigation that was launched in November 2023, after a neighbor reported her concerns to Rowan County Animal Services.
On November 21, 2023, Investigator Eric Williams with Rowan County Animal Services responded to a home on 107 Upland Trail in Cleveland to investigate reports of possible animal abandonment.
Upon arrival, Investigator Williams found chickens running loose on the property. Looking through a window of the home he then saw three dogs who appeared to be emaciated and one of them was unable to stand up due to the condition he/she was in.
Investigator Willimas contacted HORNE, the animals’ guardian, and she met with him at the property. HORNE said no one had been able to care for the animals in about a month.
Once inside the home, Investigator Williams found puddles of urine and feces throughout the house.
The three dogs were transported to the Rowan County Animal Shelter for medical care.
According to a press release by the sheriff’s office and obtained by Voice For Us, on January 12, 2024, the Rowan County District Attorney’s Office asked the sheriff’s office to investigate the case further and the case was assigned to a deputy of the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Apprehension Team (SOCAT). Through the investigation, the deputy was able to speak to the veterinarian that treated the dogs and learned that all three furvictims “were as close as they could be to dying of starvation and still be breathing. “
On January 12, 2024, warrants were obtained for HORNE for seven felony counts of animal cruelty and seven misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.
The charges refer to the three dogs and the four chickens.
The following day, January 13, 2024, the warrants were served and HORNE was arrested. She was taken before a magistrate and released on a written promise to appear in court.
On January 16, 2024, witnesses gave statements to the sheriff’s office stating that they had witnessed “the ill-care of three dogs and chickens on the property and that they would also be making a statement about other animals on the property.” The witnesses further stated that in the summer of 2023, there were a total of five chickens and three ducks on HORNE’s property.
According to the release, one of the witnesses stated that HORNE was never at home and “the chickens and ducks had no food, and water and that a pool that had been placed out for the ducks had no water in it and that it was [nothing] but sludge.” Additionally, the witness stated that she contacted HORNE to let her know that one of the ducks had died.
Although the neighbors started caring for the ducks and chickens, two remaining ducks and one chicken died later, making a total of four animals who passed away.
With this new information about the deceased animals, warrants were obtained on January 16, 2024, for four felony counts of Death by Starvation. On the same day, HORNES appeared in court on the new charges and was served with the warrant for Felony Death by Starvation. She was then taken before a District Court Judge on the felony charges. The Judge ordered her not to have any responsibility for animals and then released her on a written promise to appear in court on February 14, 2024.
As for the three dogs, they have since been rehabilitated and adopted out to new homes.
Disclaimer: This story is sourced from the official press release by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office obtained by Voice For Us.
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