A South Carolina, USA couple has been jailed after authorities discovered their 8-month-old baby living in appalling conditions surrounded by dozens of neglected animals and the rotting carcass of a goat.
Kayla Renard and Nicholas Foley were arrested Monday following a welfare check at their home in Honea Path, after the state’s Department of Social Services alerted local police to possible child endangerment and unsanitary conditions.
Inside the residence, officers were met with a disturbing scene: 47 animals, including raccoons, rabbits, dogs, cats, and chickens, were found living in filth. Animal faeces and waste covered much of the interior, and a decaying goat carcass was discovered in the bathtub.
“The amount of feces and ammonia made it extremely difficult to breathe,” said Dr. Kim Sanders, director of Anderson County PAWS, whose team helped remove the animals from the home. “There were no water bowls visible. It was absolutely disgusting and incredibly depressing for my staff and myself.”
Photos from the scene revealed multiple dogs crammed into crates stacked on top of each other. Maggots crawled in food bowls, and trash littered the floors. Some animals had not been let out of their cages in days — if not weeks.
“It was one of the most horrific cases we’ve encountered in more than 30 years,” police stated.
The infant, along with the animals, was rescued from the home. Authorities confirmed that the child was in surprisingly good health despite the environment and has since been placed in the care of a relative.
“This child is OK,” said Police Chief Christopher Miller. “The child was in pretty good condition, considering the state of the home.”
The house on Shirley Avenue is expected to be declared uninhabitable.
Renard and Foley now face multiple charges, including unlawful conduct toward a child and ill treatment of animals.
