4 arrested for animal abuse after Knox Co. investigation into pet-sitting deaths
Four family members are facing animal abuse charges in Knox County following a months-long investigation that began after multiple people who hired them as pet sitters reported that their animals had died in their care or were returned in poor condition.
The Knox County Sheriff's Office provided detailed officer reports that highlighted a long list of allegations involving severe neglect and abuse of dozens of dogs, cats, guinea pigs, lizards, rabbits and other animals the family kept in the home.
Animal control officers said they arrived to find the home filled with trash and reeking of feces and urine. Four dead animals were recovered before the arrests.
“The findings were so extensive, veterinary cruelty checks needed to be conducted on each animal and the deceased animals were sent to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for necropsy testing (to attempt to determine the cause of death),” the KCSO report said. "If there were additional dead/decomposed animals, they were not visible in the clutter and garbage throughout the home.”
https://www.wbir.com/article/news/crime/family-charges-with-multiple-counts-of-animal-cruelty-kcso/51-106ce195-3e62-4c58-8d51-b8161b7d6d28
They have to call in a hazmat team to clean the place. I don't know how this shelter operates, but in ours, the foster animals have to return intermittently for clinic checks until they are adopted.