Saturday, Dozens gathered to voice their concerns over the mistreatment of animals in Horry County and South Carolina to Senator Greg Hembree and Senator Luke Rankin.
Robin Cooper was one of the many people who listened and spoke about her own experiences with the mistreatment of dogs.
“This is Ren and he has one deformed front leg and this is Stimpy he had two deformed front legs,” said Cooper.
She says she got the two dogs directly from Renee James, whom Horry County Police say was operating a puppy mill a few weeks ago
Cooper says James gave her the dogs over a year ago.
“She asked me to take them and I kind of hesitated, but when she brought them to her pet store to give to me I accepted because I could not turn them away,” she said.
Cooper, who runs an animal rescue, says the two disabled dogs most likely would have been killed if she did not save them.
She says a $450 dollar fine, which James received for operating the mill, is not enough and stricter punishment is needed.
“It’s going to continue and there is going to be more deformities coming out that we don’t know about,” said Cooper.
South Carolina Senator Luke Rankin had the same questions many of those who attended the event asked.
“I’m not sure, in that case, why the state law was not cited versus a county ordinance because it was well known that there was a prior offense,” said Senator Rankin.
News 13 investigated the James Puppy Mill case a few weeks ago and found that Horry County law enforcement never took action against James during the first puppy mill bust in 2014.
Law enforcement said during the 2014 incident, James cooperated with officers and willingly gave up more than 120 dogs.
Rankin says more needs to be done proactively in these situations.
“It’s a matter of law enforcement and it’s a matter of educating folks in the law enforcement community on the laws we do have on the books,” he said.
Rankin says it will take time for the state to make changes, but says continuing to push for stricter laws like many did Saturday is the best way to keep the conversation going.