Police find 12 dead dogs at SC home. Then 14 other dogs were rescued, report says

Beaufort County Sheriff's Office deputies found 12 dead dogs at a Sea Pines home Tuesday afternoon after they received a report of multiple deceased animals inside and outside the home.

Beaufort County Animal Control also seized an additional 14 dogs from the residence, according to Capt. Bob Bromage of the Sheriff's Office.

Deputies were dispatched the home on Lands End Road around 2 p.m. after Sea Pines Security received a complaint about the dogs.

Two security officers said they had conducted a health and welfare check on the home and were unable to find the woman who lived there.

During the check, they detected the "strong odor of what appeared to be a decomposing carcass," the report said.

The security officers saw two black garbage bags near the back porch while checking on the home, according to the police report. One Sea Pines security officer kicked one of the bags and "it felt like a carcass of an animal."

They then called Beaufort County Sheriff's Office and animal control.

"When I arrived on scene, I immediately detected the odor of a decomposing carcass coming from the area of (the) residence," a deputy wrote in the report.

The deputy then saw a car parked in the driveway that had three dogs inside, the report said. The vehicle was not running.

When animal control arrived, the woman who lives at the residence came outside and was read her Miranda Rights, the report said.

Her interview was redacted from the report.

No charges had been filed as of Thursday afternoon as the investigation continues, Bromage said.

Deputies spoke with an employee of the Hilton Head Humane Association who said she received a call from a woman who had stayed with the owner of the dogs for a week before the day of the incident.

The woman told the employee that "she felt she had to inform someone of the situation" and was "concerned" for the owner's living conditions, the report said.

"People really need to inform us if somebody is in need of help or assistance," Tallulah Trice, director of the county's animal shelter, said Thursday. "This is something that somebody knew. We are here to assist before it reaches that point."

Trice said the dogs that were seized are in the care of Dr. Marikay Campbell at the Port Royal Veterinary Hospital.

The animal shelter is also being assisted by Sea Island Animal Hospital on Lady's Island, and has requested further help from the ASPCA.

Trice could not immediately comment on the condition of the dogs.

This story was originally published April 26, 2018 at 6:16 PM with the headline "Police find 12 dead dogs at SC home. Then 14 other dogs were rescued, report says."