The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man from Grass Valley on Thursday for alleged animal cruelty after deputies found 49 animals living in poor conditions without food, water, or cleanliness.
The sheriff’s department received an anonymous tip about several unattended animals at a business unit in the Alta Sierra Business Park on Alta Sierra Drive, near Highway 49.
On August 6, a sheriff’s deputy and Animal Control conducted a welfare check and found the suspect, a 35-year-old resident of Grass Valley. He claimed he was planning to open a reptile business, but it wasn’t operational yet, and he didn’t have the necessary permits.
Inside the unit, authorities discovered 47 animals, including reptiles, rabbits, rodents, birds, cats, and dogs. Many of them were kept in small cages or tubs contaminated with urine and feces, without access to food or water.
The unit was warm and humid with poor ventilation, and there was a strong smell of ammonia, according to Animal Control Supervisor Stefanie Geckler.
“In one small room, we found about six plastic tubs with various birds inside,” Geckler said. “None of the tubs had food or water, and some were covered with plastic lids, making it hard for the birds to breathe.”
Animal Control seized the animals that day, and the man was cited for animal cruelty.
Two more dogs that were in the process of being seized were given to a neighbor who agreed to care for them. However, when Animal Control and a deputy returned for a follow-up on Thursday, they found the dogs were back with the suspect.
The two dogs were again found caged without food or water, and they were seized. The man was arrested and booked into Wayne Brown Correctional Facility on animal cruelty charges.