Deputies find 14 dead dogs, some stuffed in a freezer and refrigerator, in Grovetown home

Columbia County authorities responding to a welfare check last week found a total of 14 dead dogs in a Grovetown home, 11 of which were found stuffed in a refrigerator or freezer.

Margaret Elizabeth Nevils, 41, of Grovetown, was arrested on a charge of cruelty to animals, according to Maj. Steve Morris with the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. She was released on a $5,100 bond.

A neighbor on the 2000 block of Magnolia Parkway in Grovetown called the sheriff's office on Thursday to report she had not seen her neighbor, her car, or anyone in the home since October, according to an incident report. Deputies said they tried calling Nevils, but it went straight to voicemail.

Deputies went to the home and saw animal feces and destroyed furniture through a window, according to the report. A small pit bull ran from the back of the home to the window and they noticed the dog was emaciated.

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Deputies also noted most of the floor was covered in feces and dogs had chewed through the walls, according to the report.

Animal services responded and deputies broke into the back door of the house and rescued the pit bull. While searching the home, deputies noticed blood seeping from the freezer, which was attached to the fridge.

Deputies opened the fridge and found a black trash bag with an animal foot sticking out of the bag, according to the report. Three dead dogs were found in the fridge and eight dead dogs were found in the freezer. Seven of those found in the freezer were puppies, according to the sheriff's office.

All three bedroom doors were locked and deputies found three more dead dogs in the master bedroom in various stages of decomposition, according to the report. In the spare bedroom, there were multiple empty dog cages with another piece of furniture that was also shredded. In the last bedroom, deputies found items belonging to a child or teenager.

The female pit bull that was rescued weighed just 37 pounds, according to county records.

A medical report from Hill Top Animal Hospital in Evans noted the dog was malnourished and had scars on her face, fractured teeth, a bleeding tail and dandruff, according to county records.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Deputies find 14 dead dogs in Grovetown home, one surviving pit bull