Washington County Animal Control and Jonesborough Public Safety seized four malnourished dogs they found tied on short chains to trees in a woman’s yard, according to court documents.
Two women were charged in the incident.
Wanda Privette, 66, and Angela Privette, 37, of 209 Longview Ave., Jonesborough are charged with four counts of animal cruelty. Angela Privette also faces other charges — driving on a cancelled license, simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia — unrelated to the animal cruelty.
Jonesborough PSO Justin Hazlewood first responded to a call about a dog running loose around 10 20 a.m. Sunday and then discovered it and the other animals at the Privette’s residence.
“All the dogs looked very malnourished, there was no food present at any of the areas, ther was not adequate shelter provided for any of the dogs and the dogs were restrained with short chains to different trees and a post in the yard,” Hazlewood wrote in a court document.
The chains, he noted, were too short to allow the dogs to move around.
The Privettes were not home at the time, but due to the condition of the dogs, Hazlewood called for animal control to take the animals.
Later the same day, at 3 p.m., Hazlewood responded to the Family Dollar on West Jackson Boulevard about a suspicious person inside the store. The woman, identified as Angela Privette, was acting incoherent and intoxicated, according to the report.
Hazlewood said in court documents that Privette told him she had taken suboxone. She was initially arrested on the animal cruelty charges, but after Hazlewood retrieved her a cigarette from her vehicle — at her request — he found two baggies that had a green leafy plant material stuffed into the cigarette case.
When Hazlewood searched Privette’s car he also found four cut straws with residue on them. He did not identify the residue in the court document.
Both Privettes were scheduled to be arraigned today in Washington County General Sessions Court.