ATLANTA — A home in northwest Georgia attracted some potential buyers, likely with the modest price tag of $275,000.
“Welcome home to this amazing 1919 Farm in Layette, GA sitting on 10 acres of beautiful land,” the Zillow listing states. “This is a perfect spot for horses and livestock.”
But it turns out, the home wasn’t fit for animals and definitely not humans, according to Walker County investigators. The five people living in the home were arrested and charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty, and the house has been condemned.
The couple visiting the Highway 151 home with their real estate agent saw a dead ferret inside a crate and multiple dogs and cats living in “deplorable” conditions. They alerted an animal control officer, launching an investigation.
“After obtaining a search warrant to enter the home, officers immediately encountered extremely deplorable conditions that included urine-soaked carpet, caked feces in multiple rooms, moldy food and an insect infestation,” county officials said in a press release.
Outside, investigators found the dead ferret, crates containing two dead goats and a decomposing bunny. The sheriff’s office assisted animal control officers with the investigation.
Nine dogs, four cats, two horses, two goats, two donkeys, a sheep and a pony were removed from the property, investigators said. The livestock was taken to a rescue organization, while the dogs and cats were taken to the county animal shelter for adoption.
Those living in the home were each charged with 13 counts of animal cruelty, plus three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. Those arrested include: James Delbert Fields, Jr., 78; Miriam Fields, 65; Mario Lopez, 42; Melodie Lopez, 40; and Britni Fields, 20.
Though investigators do often see cases involving animal neglect, such as improper shelter, this case is not typical, according to Bailey Clements, executive director for Walker County Animal Services.
“I have never seen a case that involved this level of cruelty (being) posted online and open for potential buyers to walk through and see,” Clements told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It is very unusual that there was no attempt to hide or conceal any of the evidence, especially deceased animals in plain view.”
Property records show James and Miriam Fields had owned the home since July 2019. After a week on the market, the home was removed from “for sale” listings on Wednesday, online records show.
In a separate case in March, a Walker County man was charged with 27 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and four counts of cruelty to animals after 26 dead roosters were found in his yard, investigators previously said.
In January, a Paulding County man was sentenced to 475 years in prison after being convicted of 93 counts of dogfighting and 10 counts of cruelty to animals, the district attorney said. The sentence is believed to be the toughest ever for dogfighting, according to Jessica Rock, Georgia’s statewide animal crimes prosecutor.
