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Animal cruelty cases
Kendrick Jennings, 33, and Jennifer Ruhl, 31, will face 35 charges apiece, including 17 for cruelty to animals, 17 for failure to provide inoculations and another for obstructing or hindering an animal control officer. According to Bruce McClure, field supervisor for Augusta Animal Services, his agency began investigating the couple last month after receiving complaints from neighbors. The initial investigation turned up 17 neglected pit bulls at their McNutt Road home in South Augusta but no owners. McClure caught up with Jennings a few days later, but by then 13 of the dogs were missing. "He wouldn't tell us where he moved them," McClure said. But another tip soon pointed officers to Burke County where the couple is building a house. In late February, a dozen of the missing dogs were found chained or caged across the couple's 31- acre parcel off Ben Hatcher Road. "Most of them were chained up. They had no food, no water and only barrels for shelter," McClure said. Some also had festering wounds consistent with dog bites, and all of them were significantly underweight and dehydrated. Animal control officers could not locate one missing dog that had multiple wounds on its legs, head and neck when they saw it in Richmond County. "The owners refused to disclose its location," McClure said. "They stated it fell off the back of the truck when they were moving the dogs, and they could not find it." Both Jennings and Ruhl were arrested last Tuesday and released early the next morning. McClure said all 70 charges stemmed from conditions at the couple's Richmond County home. Additional charges may be brought against them in Burke County, he said, but would be at the discretion of local deputies who assisted with the animal rescue. |
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