Summerville woman sentenced to prison for animal neglect

On May 21, 2024, Colleton County Magistrate Judge Elbert O. Duffie sentenced Kimberly Brianne Couture of Summerville, South Carolina, to spend 10 days in jail in Colleton County, South Carolina. On April 27, 2024, Kimberly Couture pleaded guilty to 39 counts of failure to provide animal care and one count of failure to properly dispose of a dead animal after hearing several hours of testimony from two veterinarians, three animal control officers, a shelter volunteer and a horse rescue representative.

Based on a complaint filed by a concerned citizen, Colleton County Animal Control obtained and served a warrant on May 26, 2022 at a property rented by Couture on Running Creek Lane in Cottageville, South Carolina. Once on scene, Animal Control found that many of the animals were in very poor physical condition and most were living in poor conditions, including piles of old feces, dirty water and little or no shelter for the animals. dogs. Additionally, the remains of at least two animals were found near the fence of a neighboring property, covered in used cat litter and other trash. Animal Control took in 61 animals, including 15 dogs, 20 goats, 13 cats, 6 horses, 1 calf and 2 chickens.

“Animal Control Officer Martin did an excellent job collecting, organizing and presenting a wealth of evidence in this case.” said CCAS Director Laura Clark. “Our staff and many volunteers worked several hours a day for weeks to feed and provide medical care and improve the animals' living conditions until they could all be removed and new homes could be found . It was truly a team effort. Clark added, “We want to send a strong message that failure to comply with state laws and Colleton County ordinances will result in consequences. »

Couture rented the Running Creek property as a facility for her rescue, Healing Hearts from Sole to Soul. Judge Duffie sentenced Couture to 10 days in jail for one of the horses, 10 days in jail for one of the dogs, and 1 day in jail per animal for the other 37 animal-related charges, as well as a $200 fine for improper burial or disposal of a dead person. animal. Because he ordered those days to be served concurrently, Couture will spend 10 days in prison. Agent Martin, a nationally certified animal cruelty investigator, responded to this sentence by saying, “In court, we don't always get the verdict or sentence we like, but every guilty charge involves an animal who is now in a better home, being loved. .”