1,000 malnourished chickens found at rural SC home. Here’s what happened

When Laurens County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at a house in Clinton recently, they found more than 1,000 chickens, three tied-up dogs and an Eastern Box Turtle without food and water.

They also found 42 marijuana plants and two pounds of marijuana.

Two people were arrested — Diana Rosa Gutierrez Sanderson and Josvany Oreilly Castro.

The Sheriff’s Office said animal control was initially called to investigate animal neglect at the house on Shepard Drive, a rural area south of Clinton.

“Upon receiving consent to enter the residence to check the welfare of animals, an odor of marijuana was noted and a large amount of marijuana plants were observed,” the Sheriff’s Office said.

They said they found more than 1,000 chickens that were malnourished, missing feathers, infested with mites, and lethargic, an Eastern Box Turtle with no access to food, water, or shelter, a dog tethered to a tree without access to food, water, or a proper shelter and two dogs tethered by chains without swivels that would allow access to water and shelter.

Gutierrez Sanderson and Oreilly Castro were charged with three counts of inhumane animal care, two counts of tethering, two counts of failing to provide evidence of rabies inoculation and possession of a native turtle.

Oreilly Castro was also charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and trafficking in marijuana. He was being held under a $10,000 bond at the Laurens County Detention Center Friday, county records show.

Gutierrez Sanderson was released Thursday after posting a bond of $1,087.50 per charge.

Laurens Sheriff’s office officials could not be reached for comment on what happened to the animals.

Quite a few people on Facebook offered to take some.

Commenters had a comic routine in the comments including “So they were animal hoarders and marijuana growers? That sounds like two full-time jobs, I’m impressed with their time management skills.”

And others just wanted the sign the Sheriff’s Office put in the yard that said, “This drug house closed for business.”