VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas — A Van Zandt County man has been arrested following a rescue operation by the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) unit.
VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas — A Van Zandt County man has been arrested following a rescue operation by the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) unit.
“This was one of the most shocking cases of animal cruelty that we have encountered,” said SPCA of Texas Chief Investigator, Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit Courtney Burns, CAWA. “The living conditions were deplorable, but the most heart-wrenching aspect of this case that you cannot see in the pictures is that these dogs were starved for human affection.
“They are on their road to recovery now, and the person that did this to them cannot hurt them anymore,” Burns added.
On the morning of Friday, March 22, 2024, the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit removed 17 allegedly cruelly treated dogs from the owner's property near Canton, Texas. A total of 16 Cocker Spaniel dogs and one Boxer dog were cruelly confined to deplorable living conditions.
All surfaces of the home were covered in feces and saturated with urine, according to the SPCA, and skeletal remains of a deceased dog were discovered under a bed in the bedroom of the home.
The dogs were transported to the SPCA of Texas’s facility in Dallas for medical treatment and forensic evaluations.
The veterinarian overseeing their care, SPCA of Texas Senior Director of Shelter Veterinary Services Dr. Shawn Ashley, reported that each dog was carrying from two to three pounds of dried feces on their feet and in their hair upon arrival. Investigators noted the Cocker Spaniel's fur was so heavily matted and caked with feces that it impeded the dog's ability to walk.
Ashley also confirmed that the dogs were suffering from eye infections as a result of the remarkably high ammonia levels inside the house.
However, Dr. Ashley also reported that the dogs are in good spirits, friendly and full of hope. It will be some time before the animals will be ready for adoption.
The SPCA of Texas measured the ammonia level inside of the residence to be 350 parts per million (ppm). For a point of reference, short term exposure to any ammonia level over 20 ppm or long term exposure to any level over 12 ppm can cause health problems in humans — which required the ACI team to utilize protective gear and respirators during the rescue.
The dogs had access to filthy water, and the ACI team witnessed the dogs attempting to eat dry dog food that appeared to have been thrown on top of the feces-covered floor in the kitchen.
Before a civil custody hearing Monday, April 1, 2024, in VanZandt County Justice of the Peace Court, Precinct 4, the owner signed the 17 dogs over to the SPCA of Texas. The SPCA of Texas waived restitution. The dogs will be evaluated for potential adoption or placement on a case by case basis.
Immediately following Monday's hearing, the dog owner, identified as Kory Kimble, was arrested and charged with cruelty to non-livestock animals, torture, which is a third-degree felony. He was booked into the Van Zandt County Jail on a $50,000 bond.