FORT MILL, S.C. — Nearly a week since the arrest of two people for animal cruelty, animal services officials in York County continue to look for safe rescue placement for cats and dogs seized last Friday from a home in Fort Mill.
According to a police report, a witness saw multiple dogs fighting in the backyard of 400 Unity St. in northeast Fort Mill. The witness told police she noticed one of the dogs "bite a puppy around the neck in an attempt to kill it." When officers responded to the home, they said they found one puppy dead in the yard and a "large number of dogs and other animals" inside. The police report states the animals "appeared to be malnourished" and had "deplorable living conditions."
Bobbie Comer, director of York County Animal Services (YCAS) told WCNC Charlotte Wednesday morning the total number of animals pulled from the home was 103. She said one of the animals her staff received had to be euthanized due to its poor medical condition. Comer said at least one other was already dead when it was removed from the home.
The assortment of animals pulled from the house ranged from exotic pets to pocket pets to the aforementioned cats and dogs.
"The appreciation for our community in advocating and speaking up for animals is so important. To me, the big piece of the puzzle here is someone spoke up and said something," Comer said. "One person made a huge difference, and all it takes is one person"
Due to this massive intake, plus prior cruelty cases being housed at the county shelter, Comer said YCAS is full and staff is working quickly to try to move any animals they can to rescues locally and across the country.
Comer said there are ways for the public to help, including giving donations of Friskies canned cat food, Kongs, or other non-destructible chew toys for dogs, sharing bios of their adoptable dogs on social media or other platforms, and participating in the doggy day out program, which can help market their adoptable dogs
Carrie Klamut, a volunteer lead for Carolinas-based rescue Halfway There Rescue, said the organization had received a puppy from last week's seizure, who is with one of the group's fosters getting medical treatment. The rescue is calling the puppy "Taylor Snift."
"She, in particular, was one of at least two puppies that were suffering some from some pretty severe Demodex mange," Klamut said.
In an Instagram post announcing its new intake, the group wrote, of the home from which the animals were seized, "It truly was a house of horrors."
While she views the rescue of 100 animals as a positive, Klamut said it comes at a time when shelters across the area remain maxed out.
"I wish I could say that I was shocked," Klamut said. "But just two days prior to that, you know, we were talking about how 267 animals had come into that shelter within an eight-day period. So, at this point, even hearing numbers of 100-plus ... it's awful that it's not even resonating with the shock value, I think, that we may be used to have."
Klamut also urges the public to pitch in during what she sees as an animal welfare crisis.
"One of the fastest ways to get involved is to visit your local animal shelter," Klamut said. "Almost every county in our surrounding area will accept visitors. Sometimes, it's you know, for the purpose of signing up to volunteer, sometimes, like within Charlotte, you can do a vacation with a dog."
"There's also a human element to this, from the people who have to respond to these situations," Klamut continued. "We get to see the healing process for so many who work in Animal Services, and they are the first responders to these types of situations -- the horrifying element that they see and have to take home. That's something that we have to have compassion [about]."
Contact Vanessa Ruffes at vruffes@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.