Georgia Department of Agriculture

Companion Animal/Equine Division

19 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SW, Rm. 122 Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Phone: 1-404-656-4914
Website: http://agr.georgia.gov/ Inspection ID 63118

Animal Protection Inspection Report

Inspection ID Inspection Reason Inspection Date Inspection Start Time Inspection End Time Inspector Name

63118 INVESTIGATION 3/13/2019 11:00 AM 5:00 AM ROBIN FLORY

EST NO EST NAME Type License No
113275 Sweet Basil Farm & Kennel UNLICENSED AP
Physical Address Physical City Physical State Physical Zip Code County
900 Johnstonville Rd Barnesville GA 30204 LAMAR

Requirements Details
Premises Current License Housekeeping Lighting Adequate Adequate Fire Extinguishing
Displayed Temperature Control Ventilation Device

N/A Fail N/A N/A N/A Fail

Enclosures Space Interior Structural Shelter / Elements Drainage

Requirement Surface Strength

N/A Fail Fail N/A N/A

Perfomance Record Keeping Storage Pest Control Sanitation Waste Disposal

N/A N/A N/A Fail Fail

Animal Care Class Adequate Adequate Selling or Adopting Minimum Tethering Euthanasia Humane Negative Evacuation
Separation Food Water Injured or Diseased or Age Care Coggins Plan
Abnormal Animals

Fail Fail Fail N/A N/A N/A N/A Fail N/A N/A

Companion Animal Details

Number of Animals Number of Stall/Enclosure Number of Breeding Animals Number of Monthly Bird Inventory

40

Follow Up Status Information

Follow Up Date Follow Up Reason Follow Up Duration Animal Types

3/14/2019 Turned over to local authorities

Follow Up Notes

Assist in loading up animals for removal by Atlanta Humane.

Action Information
Quarantine Issued SS (Stop Sale) SU (Stop Use) SM (Stop Movement) Quarantine Issue Date

o o o o
Disease type
 Georgia Department of Agriculture
Companion Animal/Equine Division
19 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SW, Rm. 122 Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Phone: 1-404-656-4914
Website: http://agr.georgia.gov/ Inspection ID 63118
Complaint Unfounded Complaint Resolved Complaint Resolved Date Complaint Reference Number

46783588684
o o
Action Notes

Lamar County officials seized all of the animals on the property today and plans have been made to meet Atlanta Humane back at
the property in the morning to remove all of the animals from the premises.

Violation Information
Inspection ID Category Issue Date Est Rlse Date Rlse Date Detail
63118 Housekeeping 40-13-13- 3/13/2019 <p>Trash and debris heavily littering in and around
04(1)(c) kennels and residence.</p>
63118 Humane Care 40-13-13 3/13/2019 Multiple dogs heavily matted with no water or food.
-.04 (1)(d)
63118 Other 3/13/2019 Improper dead animal disposal.
63118 Sanitation 40-13-13-.04 3/13/2019 All runs full of feces and puddled urine.
(1)(i)
63118 Structural Strength 40-13- 3/13/2019 <p>Kennel fencing in poor state of repair. Structures
13-.04 (1)(n) inside dog runs to include perches and doghouses in
poor state of repair. </p>
63118 Waste Disposal 40-13-13 3/13/2019 Heavy fecal accumulation in dog runs as well as in
-.04 (1)(q) yard surrounding residence.
63118 Adequate Water 40-13-13 3/13/2019 Multiple dog runs with no water while others had
-.04 (1)(d) extremely dirty water containers with feces floating
in water along with other debris, green water.
63118 Adequate Food 40-13-13 3/13/2019 No food available to any animals on the property. All
-.04 (1)(d) animals appear thin.
63118 Class & Separ. 40-13-13 3/13/2019 Pigs kept in extreme close proximity to dogs. Dead
-.04(1)(a) pigs also found inside dogs pens with dogs. Dogs
observed eating on the pig carcasses.
 Georgia Department of Agriculture
Companion Animal/Equine Division
19 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SW, Rm. 122 Atlanta, Georgia 30334
Phone: 1-404-656-4914
Website: http://agr.georgia.gov/ Inspection ID 63118
Inspection Comments

The Department received complaints of owners Trish and J. David Matthews selling sick puppies from this location following the
owners applying for a pet dealer license but never following through with the prelicense inspection (see separate reports). Today is a
follow up to the previous complaints as well as stop order that was issued in September 2018. We have received complaints since
the issuance of that stop order of owner continuing to sell sick puppies.

Accompanied today by GDA field supervisor Tommy Sheffield, Lamar County Sheriff Davis, Lt. Chad Payne, Inv. Tim Clift, and (to
arrive later in the day) multiple deputies as well as representatives from the DA's office to include interim DA Elizabeth Bobbitt.

Upon arrival, I spoke to Ms. Matthews and asked to see the kennel. The kennel consists of 18 outdoor runs under a tin roof. The
runs are on dirt. There is a foul odor coming from the kennel and the curtilage around the kennel as well as the residence and it is
not long before it is discovered the odor is coming from decaying potbelly pig carcases littered throughout the yard as well as inside
two of the dog runs and pig pen. There is a litter of 14 older German shepherd puppies in two of the runs which are badly
underweight (dogs are emaciated enough to squeeze through the metal fence from one run to the other (see photographs)). The
remainder of the dogs in the runs appear to include standard poodles, Labradors, and great pyrenees. One of the middle runs also
contains 6 potbelly piglets, 2 of which are deceased laying in a swimming pool inside the run. There is a run containing a red poodle
and another adult dog with a recently deceased adult potbelly pig in the run. There is significant blood spatter on the back wall of
kennel from what appears to be an attack. The red poodle also has a significant open wound on its neck which appears to be fresh
and bleeding significantly. This dog appears very lethargic and in need of immediate medical attention. Some of the dog runs have
no water at all and the remaining runs have extremely dirty water containers with very dirty water in them. Most of the containers
appear to have excrement floating the water along with other debris. Owner walked through the kennel and saw the conditions and
stated she had been sick and unable to care for the dogs properly. She did see the dead pig carcasses but did nothing to remove
them and made no attempt to feed any of her animals during the inspection or clean water containers. She simply added water to a
couple of the containers already inside the pens and went back up to the residence.

The pig pen that is beside the dog runs contains 16 adult potbelly pigs. There is no water in this pen and no food. There are also 4
dead pigs lying in this pen. The pigs are extremely thin. At the request GDA veterinarian Dr. Robert Cobb, an inspector from
Livestock and Poultry came by to obtain one of the pig carcasses to take to the Tifton Lab for further disease testing.

There are also 5 adult great pyrenees walking around the front yard along with multiple other dogs which appear to be older German
shepherd puppies, possibly all belonging to the same litter which are in the dog runs. All of the dogs on the property appear to be
extremely malnourished. It appeared there may be dead animals further back on the property due to the large numbers of buzzards
circling overhead however due to the densely wooded terrain and distance from the immediate residence, inspection of this area was
not possible.

Once the Lamar County Sheriff's office obtain a search warrant for the residence, 4 more puppies and 1 dead puppy were found. All
are thin with no food or potable water.

There is also large piles of trash and debris littered about the yard surrounding the kennel area as well as the front and back yards
and further back onto the property. There is also trash and debris as well as rotting food inside the residence. Also found inside the
residence was a cage containing Guinea pigs and two dirty aquariums on a back porch containing 3 turtles.

Both owners were arrested today and taken to jail on charges of animal cruelty. At the time of departure, the Lamar County Sheriff's
office had seized all animals on the property and contacted Jessica Rock with Atlanta Humane and made arrangements to meet
them at the property tomorrow morning to begin removing all of the animals from the premises. GDA will standby to assist during the
removal tomorrow.

Photographs taken today by GDA as well as Lamar County Sheriff's office and District Attorney's office.

Violations issued today inadequate food and water, housekeeping, structural strength, dead animal removal, humane care,
sanitation and waste disposal, classification and separation.