4 months ago
An East Dublin man now faces animal cruelty charges after authorities raided his property.
But now investigators are saying they found no proof of dogfighting there.
The Laurens County sheriff's office say Rollin "Montay" Loyd was arrested following Thursday's raid on his home on Robert Webb Road.
The Dublin-Laurens Humane Society removed 98 dogs from Loyd's property.
They say they also found the remains of four dogs.
"We had only anticipated forty to sixty dogs. So we were prepared for that. Not almost a hundred," says Irene Sumner, with the Dublin-Laurens Humane Society.
As Sumner starts bathing the first dog of the day, nearly a hundred wait for their turn.
Sumner says Thursday's raid on the home of Rollin Loyd packed their kennel with twice as many tenants as expected.
Thursday evening, Loyd was arrested and charged with animal cruelty. The Laurens County Sheriff's Department says the dogs on his property lived in squalid conditions.
The Laurens County Sheriff's Department was originally investigating the case as possible dogfighting. Sergeant Robbie Toney, who's in charge of the case, says they found no evidence that suggests Loyd was fighting dogs.
Toney says they did not find training equipment or scars on the dogs consistent with dog-fighting.The Humane Society is now caring for Loyd's animals at the cost of about $500 a day.
They say many of the dogs have skin problems, scars, and deformities from lack of care.
Sumner says some puppies are starved and weak, other dogs are just starved for attention.
"Some of them are so scared and they cower back until you sit down on the ground with them," says Sumner. "Then they'll start to come up a little bit."
They've been testing the dogs' behavior and Sumner says they hope they all can be adopted one day, but know that might not happen.
"The minute you walk a dog by them, they're at that fenceline...it's just a nonstop...until that dog's out of their sight," says Sumner.
Eventually the courts will decide whether to put down some of the dogs or even give them back to Loyd. Until then, Sumner says, it's the Humane Society's job to make sure they are as comfortable as possible.
The raid was based on tips from Norred & Associates, an Atlanta-based firm that has investigated several alleged dog fighting operations.
"It's criminal. It's just criminal to have that many dogs, and they're hidden deep and dark in the woods. It's really bad," Terry Wolf, a volunteer with the Dublin-Laurens County Humane Society.
Volunteers say dogs were chained up outside with only rainwater to drink. They say they found only two food bowls on the property. Rescuers say some dogs are weak and malnourished.
"There was a skull that was found, and a dead puppy in a food sack. And another puppy, we don't know what is going on with it at this point, it was found in another building and was half-dead," says Irene Sumner, the director with the Humane Society.
The Humane Society says the dogs have been taken to an undisclosed location, and will be cleaned up and receive veterinary care. They'll assess each dog to decide which ones can be adopted out.
"Some of these dogs many not be able to be adopted out. I'm hoping that they are," says Sumner.
Sumner says the Dublin-Laurens Humane Society will accept any donations of money or supplies. For information on how to donate you can call 478-272-5341.
