A North Carolina man was arrested after deputies say they discovered an injured elderly woman living with more than 40 feral wolf-hybrid dogs in a home deemed "uninhabitable" for people or animals.
Melvin "Sonny" Berry was arrested Monday on one count of felony domestic elderly abuse/neglect with serious injuries, one misdemeanor local ordinance charge and 20 misdemeanor animal cruelty charges, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
Earlier this month, deputies began investigating possible animal cruelty and elder abuse in the Denton area.
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Deputies learned through observations, interviews and medical evaluations that an elderly woman was living inside a home with more than 40 wolf-hybrid dogs and sustained injuries that prompted a welfare check at the home.
The inside and the outside conditions of the home were found to be "uninhabitable" for people and dogs, according to deputies.
The dogs were not social and were later determined to be feral. The dogs were ultimately euthanized after several consultations with medical professionals and veterinarian staff "to protect public safety as well as the safety of surrounding pets in the area, due to the diseases that these dogs were exposed to and carrying," the sheriff's office said.
Berry is scheduled to appear in Lexington District Court on July 23 following his arrest last week.
