Officials have reported that the CEO of a South Carolina animal rescue organization was arrested following the discovery of 30 bodies at her South Carolina home.
Caroline Dawn Pennington (47) is a well-known figure within the animal rescue community. She serves as the CEO/director of GROWL, a non-profit rescue group, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department in a press release.
Officials said she was taken into custody Friday on 30 counts of ill-treatment of animals. She was charged after 30 dead animals, 28 dogs and 2 cats were discovered in the home.
After receiving a call that Pennington’s house was emitting a “smell like death,” police were summoned to Pennington’s Columbia home to conduct a welfare check.
The release stated that officers entered the house and found “a disturbing and extreme instance of animal cruelty.”
The sheriff’s office stated that they discovered the bodies of the animals inside and determined that they had been dead for some time and appear to have died from starvation and dehydration.
Officials stated that the animals were found in their own waste. It is believed they died in the cages after being discovered.
With the help of local animal control, the sheriff’s office removed the animals. It is not known why Pennington was not arrested before Friday.
Leon Lott, Richland County Sheriff, called it one of the most horrific cases of animal cruelty that he’d ever seen.
He said, “It’s terrible and it’s very heartbreaking.” “This was someone who was trusted by the community to care and find homes for these animals. She betrayed this trust, and she betrayed all the innocent animals who had relied upon her.
Pennington worked for GROWL in addition to being a GROWL operator, according to the sheriff’s office. He was also employed by Kershaw County Humane Society as a pet adoption center.
Officials are now investigating GROWL and asking anyone who made documented donations to the non-profit group within the last 12 month to contact the sheriff’s office.
Jamie Woodington, president of Kershaw County Humane Society’s board of directors, stated to WIS of Columbia, South Carolina that Pennington resigned on Thursday citing unspecified personal circumstances and that the charges do not involve animals from KCHS.
NBC News reached out to Pennington’s attorney for comment.
Ally Benevento, an attorney at Strom Law Firm, stated to WIS that her client has mental health problems.
Benevento stated, “This is an extremely tragic case with unimaginably horrendous allegations.” It is hard to understand how anyone could allow this to happen, but Ms. Pennington is working with serious mental health issues.
She continued, “She and her loved ones are going through very difficult times and we respectfully ask for privacy and space to allow her and her family to focus on the mental health problems that need to addressed.”
