Caroline Adkins living in Bledsoe County (in the middle of Tennessee, USA) who has been accused of animal cruelty towards 166 dogs and 40 cats by the authorities said in her defence when interviewed by WRCBtv that when she was 12-years-of-age God told her to take care of 125 strays and no more at a property called ‘Someday Acres’. She said that she had been guided by that exact number and therefore it was wrong that she was accused of being cruel to far more animals.
“..When I was 12 years old God spoke to me and told me I was going to have a place called ‘Someday Acres’ and I was going to take in strays. He gave me a number of 125 and he said don’t go over it.”
She treated the animals as her kids:
“They were my babies, they were my life, they gave me purpose because I can’t have kids and they were my babies.”
Also she said that she only neglected the animals for 72 hours while they were searching for one of their dogs, a Great Pyrenees who had gone walkabout after getting out of her compound.
It was during this time that her neighbours called the authorities. She asked the police to give her a fortnight to catch up in her work caring for the animals but “the next thing I know they’re gone”.
She claims that there were 125 dogs and 10 cats. Because the authorities raided her home she is now scared to leave it.
“They were my babies, I go to work that’s what I live for, that’s what I worked for I don’t even want to go to work anymore. I don’t want to leave my house because I’m afraid to leave my home and they’re going to haul him [her husband] off too.”
She has been charged with a misdemeanour. On conviction the punishment is a fine up to $2,500 and jail of 11 months and 29 days.
Source: WRCBtv
