Four people charged with animal cruelty after five animals found dead in filthy home

Knoxville News Sentinel
·2 min read
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The Knox County District Attorney has brought animal cruelty charges against a family of four after a lengthy investigation into an animal foster home and pet-sitter in Halls.

Thomas Morris, 52; Michelle Burgess-Morris, 50; Haylee Morris, 22, and Isabella Morris, 19, were each charged with the following:

  • Two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, a class E felony

  • Two charges of cruelty to animals, a class A misdemeanor

  • A single charge of violation of rabies laws, a class C misdemeanor

Burgess-Morris was the only one of the four to be in custody the afternoon of March 15.

What happened?

Officials first became aware of problems at the family's home in the summer of 2022 when officers were dispatched on an animal welfare call after someone complained about picking up a dog from the home in failing health, according to a police report from the Knox County Sheriff’s Office.

Fast forward to March 2023, when sheriff's officers responded several times on animal welfare checks, finally receiving permission March 7 to enter the home and investigate. The inside of the home smelled of urine and feces, according to a police report.

"Large black flies were circling in the porch area especially at the door," Officer Elizabeth Parrott wrote. "Upon entering the home through the front door, I could see feces dried to the floor and it appeared to have settled in to the edges of the walls. Puddles of urine were along walls and on the floor. The hardwood floors were stained black from urine."

The report noted Burgess-Morris’ elderly mother who suffered from dementia also lived in the home. The woman’s walker, which she used to move around the house, had feces caked onto its wheels.

The following day dozens of living animals were removed from the home, and after a thorough search of the home, the deceased (and decaying) animals were found, including a cat, a ferret, a guinea pig, a bird and a rabbit. A 12-week-old German shepherd puppy was found in a locked closet without food or water.

The Knox County District Attorney's Office has charged four people with animal cruelty after officials found five dead animals at their Halls property. The animals have since been taken care of at the Young-Williams Animal Center.
The Knox County District Attorney's Office has charged four people with animal cruelty after officials found five dead animals at their Halls property. The animals have since been taken care of at the Young-Williams Animal Center.

What animals were removed?

Nearly 40 animals were removed from the home by Knox County animal control officers the week of March 10 and were being housed at the Young-Williams Animal Center pending the criminal investigation.

The animals removed from the home included 17 dogs, 12 cats, two guinea pigs, three rats, one bearded dragon, one gecko, one turtle and one parakeet, Young-Williams CEO Janet Testerman said in a press release at the time.

The animals in the care of Young-Williams were being evaluated and treated by its veterinarian team, she said.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County people charged with animal cruelty after pets found dead