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'Makes me sick': Monroe County man charged with animal abuse after finding 51 dogs in home

Sheriff Brad Freeman says deputies responded to a complaint and found dozens of malnourished and filthy animals trapped inside a van and home.

MONROE, Ga. — Some folks in Monroe County say sometimes, you just don't know what's going on next door.

One man is now in custody after deputies found 51 animals living in terrible conditions at a house on Smith Street. 38-year-old Tony Adside turned himself in on Wednesday night. 

Sheriff Freeman says the other two suspects, 33-year-old Nicole Woodard of Forsyth and 56-year-old Lisa Stanzek of Forsyth, have turned themselves in on Thursday afternoon. 

The sheriff's office says the animals were all in rough condition, and several were dead.

13WMAZ’s Jessica Cha went out to the scene to find out more about what happened. 

“The odor was just awful, the dogs were just covered in their own feces,” Sheriff Brad Freeman says.

Freeman says this was the horrific scene a deputy found while investigating a complaint of several malnourished dogs in a yard.

"He heard some barking coming from the van that had no ventilation. Some animals were locked in there. Then you had others in cages inside the house,” he explains. 

Freeman says the county's animal services removed 51 animals, including five dead dogs and one reptile. 

Investigators also say they believe four dead dogs recently found in a ditch two miles away are also connected to the house.

Now comes the job of caring for dozens of survivors.

"They farmed out some of the animals to the rest of the rescue shelters in the area to try to find these animals homes, and obviously try to get these animals re-cooperated," Freeman said.

He also said two people were living in the home, and called this a breeding situation turned wrong. 

"I believe she was breeding some of these animals, grooming some of these animals. I believe they just overwhelmed her. I believe they were in the process of being evicted from the house, and most of the dogs were, what I would call, purebred dogs. They go for hundreds if not thousands of dollars. I'm sure it was just greed and then they just got overwhelmed,” he explains. 

The sheriff's office and the property owner asked us not to film on the property where the 51 animals were being held. However, neighbors say that they had no idea that this was happening next door. 

"I was worried about it because you'd hear a lot of dogs,” says Kaitlynn Adkins.

Adkins just moved in two months ago. She says she'd hear dogs of different sizes barking, but didn't know where they were.

"Around 8 o’clock at night you can hear them, whenever anyone drives by, you can hear them," she said.

Adkins has two dogs herself and this makes her sick. 

“To be locked in a vehicle. Even though it's February, it's hot outside right now. It's not right,” Adkins says. 

Melissa Brooks says her son called the sheriff's office about the dogs. 

"I don't know if they were in the yard or in the street, but he said they could count their ribs, so they decided to call,” she says. 

Brooks says she works with dogs everyday and it takes time for them to look so skinny. 

"I mean, if you have a healthy dog. It could take weeks,” Brooks explains. 

Freeman says they would not be sharing pictures of the dogs because of how bad their condition is, and to give the suspects a fair trial. 

If you suspect neglect or abuse in your neighborhood, you should call your local animal control agency or 911 if it's an emergency. The Humane Society says if you do make a report, the responding agency is required to investigate. 

You should include dates, times and specific details, and photographs if possible. You can make the report anonymously. Anybody with information on this case should call 911 or your sheriff's office. 

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