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ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) — A woman in Carter County is under scrutiny as she faces charges related to animal cruelty following a disturbing dog fight incident. Authorities were alerted to the scene where they discovered multiple dogs enduring harsh living conditions.
According to a report from the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy was dispatched to the 2700 block of Siam Road on November 4. The call was in response to two dogs aggressively attacking another canine.
Upon arrival, the deputy encountered eight dogs outside the premises. Three of them were restrained with tie-downs, while the remaining five were confined within two separate kennels.
The deputy noted that the three dogs involved in the violent altercation were located in a larger kennel.
“One of the larger dogs had another pinned to the ground by its throat, shaking it violently, while a second dog was aggressively pulling at its face,” the deputy recounted in the report. “To halt the attack, I employed my department-issued pepper spray on the two aggressive dogs.”
The deputy reportedly then began checking the well-being of the other dogs, one of which appeared to be severely underweight with its ribs and stomach “sunken in.”
“None of the dogs had clean drinking water,” the deputy wrote. “The five (5) dogs in the kennels had water with green algae growing in it, the other three dogs had no access to water.”
The five dogs in the kennels did not have access to an enclosed shelter, and while the other three did, none of the shelters had bedding material to protect them from cold temperatures, according to the report.
“Checking the weather, meteorologist had predicted that the overnight low the previous night was 36 F and the upcoming overnight low to be 33 F,” the deputy wrote.
Animal control director Shannon Posada and the owner of the dogs, identified as Savannah Paige Cole, 23, arrived, and the deputy reported that after speaking with the animal control director and checking the call history for the location, “it was revealed that the poor welfare of these animals has been an ongoing issue with Savannah having at least seven (7) months to correct.”
The deputy determined that it was in the dogs’ best interest to have animal control take them to the Carter County Animal Shelter and told Cole she could surrender the dogs or have the shelter house them for a fee until the case is settled. One of the dogs was surrendered, and another was placed in the care of Cole’s father, according to the report.
Posada told News Channel 11 that one of the dogs that was taken died.
The deputy also reported that Cole said there were three more dogs inside her home, but she “refused entry to check their welfare.”
Cole is facing one count of aggravated animal cruelty and seven counts of cruelty to animals, according to court documents, which also show that Cole’s case was bound over to a grand jury on Monday with a court date scheduled for July 31.