Dozens of dogs were removed from the house; the man is accused of animal cruelty

PATNAM DISTRICT, V. Va. (WSAZ) – A man faces 20 counts of animal cruelty after an incident led humane officers to his home where dozens of malnourished and dead puppies were found.

According to court documents, on Oct. 30, the Putnam County Animal Shelter received a complaint about dogs running loose on Grandview Ridge Road.

During one incident, the criminal complaint states that several dogs chased a cat onto the homeowner’s driveway. The homeowner told police the dogs wouldn’t leave and continued to growl.

To protect himself and his cat, the criminal complaint says the owner told police he shot two dogs and wounded another.

Humane officers located the owners of the dogs involved in the situation on Grandview Ridge Road in Buffalo.

When humane officers arrived at the home, they found puppies of all ages, all malnourished.

The owners told police they did not know how many dogs were on the property.

A search warrant was obtained on October 31, and officials confiscated all dogs and animals living on the property.

The criminal complaint states that a dead puppy was found under the driveway curb and another dead puppy was found in a garbage bag on a wheelbarrow.

All of the puppies found on the property were malnourished, sick and most were unable to move, the criminal complaint said.

A decomposed deer was also found in an open shed located on the property, court documents said.

A total of three adult dogs, 17 puppies and two deceased puppies were removed from the property and are now in the possession of Putnam County Animal Control.

A camouflaged Crickett .22 LR rifle was also found lying in plain sight on a pile of clothes in a bedroom of the home.

Edward Parsons told officers the rifle belonged to him.

Court records showed Parson was convicted of domestic violence in Kanawha County in 2017 and delivery of a controlled substance in 2012.

After obtaining an additional search warrant, law enforcement officers seized the rifle and added it to physical evidence.

Parson was charged with 20 counts of animal cruelty, one count of conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor and one count of being a prohibited firearms felon.