Crime

Chatham sheriff seizes 44 dogs in animal cruelty investigation

Sheriff’s deputies in Chatham County have charged a 36-year-old woman with 10 counts of animal cruelty after seizing 44 dogs from her home in Bear Creek.
Sheriff’s deputies in Chatham County have charged a 36-year-old woman with 10 counts of animal cruelty after seizing 44 dogs from her home in Bear Creek. Getty Images

Sheriff’s deputies in Chatham County have charged a 36-year-old woman with 10 counts of animal cruelty after seizing 44 dogs from a home in Bear Creek.

Six of the dogs were already dead when investigators reached the property on Oakley Church Road on Thursday, drawn by a citizen’s complaint of “distressing sounds” from the animals, the sheriff’s office said in a Sunday news release.

The remaining dogs were being treated for dehydration, malnutrition, parasites and severe matting at the sheriff’s animal resource center.

Alicia Dawn Culberson is expected to face charges in court Wednesday.

This story was originally published January 28, 2024 at 3:04 PM with the headline "Chatham sheriff seizes 44 dogs in animal cruelty investigation."

Josh Shaffer
The News & Observer
Josh Shaffer is a general assignment reporter on the watch for “talkers,” which are stories you might discuss around a water cooler. He has worked for The News & Observer since 2004 and writes a column about unusual people and places.
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