BRUNSWICK COUNTY — Two men have been charged as the result of an animal cruelty investigation.
The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Animal Protective Services began the investigation in April. That’s when authorities began working with Tramonte Quintel Hooper. His care for his two dogs violated county standards. Hooper’s dogs lacked proper shelter and access to water. One of the dogs was shackled to a heavy chain weighing over 60 lbs.
After repeated attempts to get Hooper to comply, Sheriff’s deputies were granted a search warrant on Monday, July 3. Deputies were dispatched to the 9300-block of Southern Boulevard in Winnabow, NC, to retrieve the dogs and deliver them into protective custody.
When deputies arrived, Hooper was not present. Bristol Benjamin Richardson, 67, tried to prevent deputies for taking the dogs. Richardson was arrested and charged with obstructing the deputies; he was jailed under a $500 bond and later released.
Brunswick County Sheriff’s deputies are still searching for Hooper; when found, he will be cited for two misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty.
Animal Protective Services provided the following legal requirements for Brunswick county:
- Pets must have constant source of fresh water.
- Adequate shelter with three sides, a roof and floor that is an appropriate size; at least one meal a day. Adequate shelter does not include such things as cardboard boxes, metal barrels in direct sunlight, underneath vehicles, inside vehicles, underneath outside steps or decks. Animals may not be left out in the rain, snow, extreme heat or cold without shelter.
- Animals cannot be housed in unsanitary or overcrowded conditions.
- If tethered, the tether must be an appropriate size in relation to the animal, so as not to overload or cause injury to the animal.
