South Carolina Woman Who Worked at an “Animal Rescue” Sentenced for Animal Neglect

A Summerville, South Carolina woman named Kimberly Couture, was sentenced last week after pleading guilty to multiple charges of animal neglect. The charges stem from a May 2022 incident when Colleton County Animal Control executed a search warrant on a Cottageville property, leased for the animal rescue “Healing Hearts from Sole to Soul,” following a complaint from a concerned citizen.

During the search of the property on Running Creek, animal control officers discovered numerous animals in poor health and living in substandard conditions. They also found the remains of at least two animals near the fence line of a neighboring property, covered with cat litter and other refuse. In total, more than 60 animals were seized, including 15 dogs, 20 goats, 13 cats, six horses, a calf, and two chickens. The discovery led to Couture facing 39 counts of failure to provide care to animals and one count of improper disposal of a dead animal.

Laura Clark, Director of Colleton County Animal Services (CCAS) commended the effort saying, “Our staff and numerous volunteers worked several hours per day for weeks to feed, provide medical care, and improve the living conditions for the animals until they could all be removed and new homes could be found. This truly was a team effort.”

Couture was sentenced by Colleton County Magistrate Judge Elbert Duffie to 10 days in jail for one of the dogs, one day in jail per animal for the remaining 37 animal charges, and a $200 fine for the improper burial or disposal of a dead animal. Her sentence will be served concurrently.

Speak Up Tee By Tiny Rescue: Animal Collection

Related Content:

• Rescue Efforts Unfold After Disturbing Animal Neglect Case in California
• Allegations of Animal Neglect Lead to Charges Against Sanctuary Owner
• Queensland Pet Store Owner Fined $40,000 for Animal Neglect and Abuse
• Man Charged with Animal Neglect After He Left His Dog at The Airport
• 58 Cows Found Dead During a Farm Visit in “The Worst Case of Animal Neglect” Ever Seen

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!