BEAUREGARD, Ala. — Three people are in the Lee County Jail after deputies say they found 29 dead dogs piled in a backyard and more than two dozen others emaciated inside a Beauregard home.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office opened the investigation shortly before 11 a.m. Monday after a concerned citizen reported possible animal cruelty at a residence in the 8100 block of Lee Road 146 in the Beauregard community, just outside Auburn. Deputies and investigators arrived to find 29 deceased dogs, ranging from puppies to adults, placed in plastic bags and thrown into a pile behind the house, according to officials.
Inside the residence, authorities located about 24 additional dogs that were alive but appeared severely emaciated. Lee County Animal Control responded to the scene and took custody of the surviving dogs. Crews from the Lee County Emergency Management Agency, including a HAZMAT truck, also responded as investigators documented conditions inside the home and in the yard.
Deputies arrested the three people who lived at the residence: Curtis Dewayne Haralson, 63; Patricia Ann Sims, 54; and Tiffany Ann Sims, 27. The suspects were taken to the Lee County Jail as the investigation continues. Officials say the case “will more than likely” result in felony animal cruelty charges for all three.
Under Alabama law, aggravated cruelty to animals and first-degree cruelty to a dog or cat are Class C felonies, which can carry prison time and fines upon conviction. State statutes make it a felony to intentionally torture a dog or cat or to commit aggravated cruelty that involves the infliction of torture or extreme neglect.
In recent years, Alabama lawmakers and animal welfare advocates have pushed to strengthen penalties and enforcement mechanisms in cruelty cases, particularly those involving large numbers of dogs and cats. The Lee County case comes amid broader scrutiny of animal protection laws in the state and follows other high-profile investigations in east Alabama involving alleged neglect and abuse of dogs.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about the Beauregard case to contact the sheriff’s office at 334-749-5651 or Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP (7867).