21 Dogs Rescued, Cruelty to Animal Felony Charge Against Owner

Rutherford County -- Rutherford County Sheriff's Office reported the following: On the evening of 02/16/25, Deputies with the Rutherford

County Sheriff’s Office, Road Patrol Division were

conducting extra patrols in the area of Tisdale Street, Ellenboro,

due to a tip received about neglected dogs in that area. The deputies were able to locate multiple dogs at a local residence and began an investigation. The deputies observed multiple dogs while on scene that appeared extremely malnourished.

As a result of this investigation, Ronald Eugene Davis, 54 of Ellenboro, was arrested and charged with the following:
Dog Vaccination Violation (X8)
Cruelty to Animals (X5)

On the morning of 02/17/25, Deputies with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Road Patrol Division, along with Animal Control Services, Foothills Health District responded to the address to rescue the dogs. Deputies and Animal Control entered the residence to begin the process of removing the dogs and immediately noticed, the residence was in complete disarray, floors were covered with animal feces, and conditions that can only be described as deplorable. As the dogs were being brought out one by one, observations from deputies included noticeable hair loss, fur matted with dried feces, and bones showing through the skin. The entire rescue operation took several hours and resulted in the rescue of 21 dogs.

As a result of this operation,  54 of Ellenboro, was further charged with the following:
Cruelty to Animals (X16)

Ronald Eugene Davis

Editor's Note: A  criminal charge is an accusation, by law, a person accused of a crime is innocent until proven in a court of law.