ROWAN COUNTY, N.C. – Grace Horne has been charged with felony animal cruelty and misdemeanor animal cruelty, according to a report.
Officers say on November 21, 2023, Rowan County Animal Services investigated possible animal abandonment and investigators noticed three dogs who appeared to be very thin and weak.
After contacting the owner of the dogs, Horne, it was confirmed that there was no one at the residence to care for the animals in a month and officers say the dogs received treatment at an animal shelter.
Officers further state that on January 12, 2024, the veterinarian treating the “dogs were as close as they could be to dying of starvation and still be breathing.” Warrants were obtained that same day for seven counts of felony animal cruelty and seven counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty, three for the three dogs and four for four chickens.
The media release says Horne appeared in court on January 16, 2024, and witnesses claim there were multiple chickens and ducks that received no water or food and were living in poor conditions. The report later says that three ducks and one chicken died.
Rowan County Sheriff’s Office states that Horne was served with a warrant for four counts of felony death by starvation and will appear in court on February 14, 2024.
