QUITMAN, Ga. (WTXL) — South Georgia is experiencing an uptick in animal cruelty cases this year.
"It seems like every time you turn around there's a new case," Captain Eugene Owen of the Brooks County Sheriff's Office said.
Owen says his department received only 10 animal cruelty cases last year.
This year so far, they've investigated 12 cases.
"I'd say it's definitely increased because we also — working with the sheriff's department we investigate these type cases with people's cats and dogs, and we've investigated several cases with horses and livestock as well," Owen said.
It's a similar story in Thomas County where they have investigated eight animal cruelty cases for the year in Thomasville.
This comes on the heels of a recent animal cruelty arrest.
A tip from a concerned citizen led to the arrest of a Brooks County man on hoarding and neglect charges for 31 animals.
Realizing that they need more resources to house the animals, the officers reached out to the Thomasville Humane Society for their help.
"When they started to investigate that complaint they realized and discovered that they were well far and above the needs of the animals were surpassing the resources available and so they reached out to us," Chandler Giddes, Execute Director of Thomasville-Thomas County Humane Society said.
To help in the fight against animal cruelty, Giddes encourages everyone to get involved.
The humane society encourages everyone to speak out and report any animal cruelty they may see.
