Myrtle Beach police find 21 dogs neglected, dehydrated, covered in fleas
Nearly two dozen dogs were found in a Myrtle Beach backyard suffering from dehydration, flea bites and skin irritations.
Three people that lived at the home — Jahmoy Jamel St. Jacques, 20, Keith Burris, 21, and Belyn Sierra Rodriguez, 19 — were each charged with five counts of animal cruelty in connection to the case.
A neighbor reported the suspected animal cruelty around 6 p.m. Tuesday, according to a Myrtle Beach police report. Officers looked through a fence and saw several puppies covered in fleas with no water or food in the bowls.
Officers saw eight puppies and a mother dog panting heavily and the dogs ran quickly towards a water bowl when it was provided, according to the report.
The heat index at the time was 97 degrees.
Police contacted animal control, which stated it had an active case against the dogs owners who had until June to find the puppies a home, the report states.
Officers went to the side of the house and found several more puppies lying near the shade. Another adult female dog was chained and adult male dog was loose in the backyard, according to the report.
The three people charged arrived at the house and said they keep the adult dogs separate because they fight, the report states.
Police told St. Jacques he still had to care for the dogs while he tries to find them a home, according to the report. He reportedly said he didn’t want the puppies in the first place and didn’t care if they were removed.
St. Jacques said they provided water for the dogs when the three left for work. With 21 dogs in the backyard, a bowl, or two, of water in 90 degree heat is not going to keep them hydrated, police said.
Animal control seized the dogs and took them to the Grand Strand Humane Society.
All of the puppies had fly bitten ears, flea infestations, rashes and were malnourished, among a host of other ailments, according to the report.
“The Grand Strand Humane Society personnel stated multiple times how terrible each dog’s condition was,” officers wrote in the report.
This story was originally published May 29, 2019 at 11:15 AM.
