Texas woman arrested after bodies of 24 dogs and 12 horses found on property
A landscaper said there were ‘skeletons everywhere’ on the property
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A woman in Texas was arrested last week after landscapers alerted police to dozens of dead animal bodies they allegedly found at her ranch.
Rachel Ann Sword, 22, was arrested on Friday and had been charged with one count of cruelty to a non-livestock animal, and one count of cruelty to livestock animals — physical abuse. Police reportedly found the bodies of 12 horses and 24 dogs on her property, according to Law&Crime.
A spokesperson for the Collin County Sheriff's Office told the outlet that a "citizen complaint" from the landscapers kicked off the investigation into Ms Sword's property. They reportedly had been working on the property when they discovered the horse bodies.
“The whole property just smelled like death. Cages everywhere. Dead animals everywhere,” Alston Mays, one of the landscapers, told local broadcaster KTXA. He said there were "skeletons everywhere."
Collin County Animal Services and the sheriff's department executed a search warrant on 1 August at the property. The warrant granted authorities to remove "all living animals" from Ms Sword's property approximately 50 miles northeast of Dallas.
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“During the execution of the warrant, investigators seized two dogs, two horses, one cow, one lizard, and one snake, which were turned over to Animal Services personnel for their care and control,” the CCSO said in a statement. “While at this scene, in and around a number of buildings located on the property, Sheriff’s investigators discovered the remains of 12 horses and 24 deceased dogs in advanced states of decomposition.”
Deputies reported they began to smell rot when they arrived at the property. Upon further investigation, they found a dead dog inside a cage near a home on the property. They noted there was no food or water anywhere near the cage.
They eventually found 23 other dead dogs in various states of decomposition around the property, many of which were reportedly locked in cages or stuffed into pens that were exposed to the sun.
The deputies' reports also noted the discovery of the horses' remains, some of which were "skeletal."
“The decay on the horses ranged from completely skeletonized to partially skeletonized with skin and fur, generally indicating the deaths were not recent,” the affidavit says.
Deputies investigating the landscapers' claims found that Ms Sword's property is actually owned by her elder grandparents, according to KDFW.
A probable cause affidavit obtained by the broadcaster reportedly said the grandparents had mobility issues and were under the impression that Ms Sword was caring for the animals at the ranch.
Ms Sword spoke to the deputies and said her husband — who she said owned the animals — had died three weeks prior, and admitted that she could not bring herself to care for the numerous animals.
However, KDFW found that there had been at least 16 calls reporting animal cruelty at the property dating back to 2019, long before Ms Sword's husband would have died.
Ms Sword was arrested and is being held on an $85,000 bond.