Georgia man arrested in months-long animal cruelty investigation
Bernard Wallace (Johnson County Sheriffs Office)
JOHNSON COUNTY, Ga. - A Georgia man is facing dozens of charges after an animal cruelty investigation in middle Georgia.
Law enforcement agents arrested Bernard Wallace on Dec. 8 and charged him with 25 counts of animal cruelty. Other charges are pending.
The Johnson County Sheriff's Office says Wallace's arrest was part of a months-long investigation spanning Crawford and Johnson counties.
Officials say USDA-OIG special agents, Georgia Department of Agriculture special agents, U.S. Marshals, and Johnson County deputies seized 40 dogs from Wallace's property on Monday.
According to investigators, the animals needed medical treatment and care due to their "deplorable living conditions and urgent health concerns. The dogs have now been taken to an undisclosed Animal Rescue and Care Unit for treatment.
"Animal cruelty is a serious and intolerable offense that reflects deep depravity and a disregard for the well-being of innocent creatures," the sheriff's office said in a news release.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are asking anyone with information connected to the case to call Captain Angie Coleman or Investigator Randy Sumner at (478) 864-4006.