By ZOË HAGGARD - zhaggard@t-g.com
Forty dogs and two foxes were rescued from the home of Cailyn Nye on Rattlesnake Lodge Road on Thursday. With some emaciated and a lack of food and clean water, Nye, 28, was arrested for cruelty to animals and taken to Bedford County Jail under a $1,500 bond.
According to BCAC Director Josie Lowery, many of the dogs are small breeds. They were emaciated, so they had bulging eyes. There were skin infections, possibly a severe case of the mange on one animal.
“We had received a call from multiple people yesterday . . . . Dogs were running everywhere. Things had gotten significantly worse,” Lowery said.
This property had apparently been watched for about 5 or 6 years by local authorities.
Upon arriving at the location, BCAC met the owner, Nye, who showed the officers around.
Lowery said they couldn’t see everything going on in the yard due to overgrown grass—some areas reaching over 6-feet.
They could see no potable water. Instead, some animals had green, slimy water to drink. Lowery said there was no dog food on site. “And that was my tipping point,” said Lowery.
Nye was also cited for six counts of animals running at large. BCAC then got a search warrant to get on the property.
Lowery said they initially thought there was going to be 25 animals, but they ended up with 42.
Due to kennel space, about 20 of the dogs and the foxes are at Bedford County Animal Control shelter, while the other 20 and older dogs are with New Destiny Dog Rescue. “So, we are completely at capacity now,” said Lowery.
“Most of these dogs were severally emaciated, with no bedding . . . skin issues,” Lowery said.
They saw some deceased animals, and one dog that was convulsing had to be euthanized.
BCAC evaluates animals on a scale of 1 to 9. Lowery said most of the dogs were in the 1-2 or 2-3 range, while only two were in the condition of a 4.
“So, they’re going to need a lot of vetting,” said Lowery. The owner signed every animal over to BCAC, according to Lowery.
The shelter was closed Thursday afternoon and all-day Friday to give time to spay and neuter the new intake. Depending on the condition and if they can get fixed, some of these dogs may be adopted at BCAC’s Clear the Shelter event next Saturday, Aug. 27.
Only two of the dogs were fixed. But many of the dogs are too thin for the surgery.
“Most of them are going to need a lot of care for their skin. They’re matted, infested with fleas. They’re going to need baths,” said Lowery.
The two foxes were legally purchased, according to Larry Thurston from Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), who was called in. However, the owner’s permit expired two years ago, according Thurston.
Thurston said one of the black foxes looked “exotic” (not native to Tennessee), while the other one was probably an older red fox.
Lowery said the owner was a breeder at one time. “And I believe that she just got overwhelmed. She had partners in breeding before . . . .”
The officer added that they’ve had a 105-dog case before. But this facility is considered a large-scale hoarding case. We usually get one a year,” she said.
