SMITHFIELD, N.C. (WNCN) – Clayton Police said Tuesday a man was arrested on animal cruelty charges after he moved from a home in downtown Clayton and left four dogs locked in metal cages to die.
The dogs had been there for at least four weeks, the news release said.
Willis Wayne Hodges, 53, of Smithfield, is charged with four felony counts of animal cruelty. He was arrested on Johnson Court in Smithfield Tuesday morning with no incident, the release said.
Neighbors called police to report a foul smell coming from the home Hodges moved from. Officers went inside to find three dead dogs in their crates, and a fourth still barely alive.
It ended up having to be euthanized, according to the release.
Two of the dogs that were already dead were taken to the N.C. Veterinary Center for necropsies, the release said. The third that had already died was too decomposed.
The release said the home had belonged to Hodge’s mother. She passed away, and he moved into the home with a woman, her adult son, and their four dogs.
They all recently moved to Smithfield, police said.
Hodges is being detained in the Johnston County Detention Center. He was given a $100,000 bond.