- North Carolina, USA -
The Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrest of 32-year-old MATTHEW SCOTT NEAL (pictured), dog trainer at East Carolina Retrievers.
In a video posted on the department’s Facebook page, Sheriff Jackie Rogers said that at 12:30 a.m. of Wednesday, July 31, 2024, deputies executed a search warrant at NEAL’s residence and business on 2967 Ash Davis Road in Pink Hill.
Sheriff Rogers said that with the assistance of the Lenoir County Animal Control unit, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office’s Animal Control unit, and Duplin County Animal Control eleven (11) dogs were removed from East Carolina Retrievers and “are now in protective custody.”
NEAL was charged with animal cruelty in two different counties. In Lenoir County, he was hit with nine felony counts of cruelty to animals and received a $45,000 secured bond.
In Duplin County, NEAL was charged with two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and received a $2,000 secured bond.
WITN News reports that the felony charges stemmed from an investigation into a video showing a “man beating a dog near a mobile kennel.”
According to the arrest warrants obtained by WITN News the following are the explicit details of the animal abuse allegations:
· Used a shock collar on a female yellow Lab type dog named Maggie “until her eyes were bloodshot.”
· “‘Punch with his hands’ and held down the shock collar remote ‘for an unreasonable amount of time’” on a male Lab type dog named Tucker.
· “Hit a puppy with a PVC ‘heeling stick’ 52 times.”
· “Choked a yellow lab type dog.”
· “Shocked a black lab type dog ‘until she vomited’.”
·“Beat ‘Tucker’ a black lab type dog.”
· “Beat ‘BoBo’ a black lab type dog.”
· “Drag and beat a Shorthair Pointer named ‘Bullet’.”
· “Shocked a black lab type dog ‘for an unreasonable amount of time’.”
In thanking all the agencies involved that assisted with this case, Sheriff Rogers also expressed his gratitude toward the community and said: “We would also like to thank the citizens and the incredible residents who have come forward and made statements to make today’s arrest possible.”
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Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from the press release by the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office and WITN News. Links included. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.
In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.
NEAL’s mugshot shared from the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office
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