On Thursday afternoon, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged it is aware of concerns on social media regarding a local animal rescue.
According to law enforcement, in February the sheriff’s office received an anonymous complaint alleging the inadequate care of a large number of dogs on the All Fur Animal Rescue property, located in Locust Grove. Within three days, investigators obtained a search warrant and once executed, the owner of the rescue voluntarily surrendered all 52 dogs in the rescue’s care to the Orange County Animal Shelter and various partnering rescue organizations.
Law enforcement states that the issue remains an active and ongoing investigation. Since the surrender, additional complaints have been brought forward and are under review.
“The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is committed to conducting thorough and impartial investigations,” wrote OCSO officials in a press release. “These cases are often complex, requiring time to properly gather evidence, conduct interviews, and coordinate with outside agencies. We also want to clarify that the absence of a public press release does not indicate inaction. Our office works diligently on every case reported to us. In many situations, information must be temporarily withheld to preserve the integrity of the investigation and avoid compromising potential evidence or future legal proceedings.”
As more information becomes available and should any criminal indictments be returned, the public will be informed. For questions or concerns related to the case, contact captain Becky Jones at (540) 672-1200.
On Wednesday, prior to the release from the sheriff’s office, All Fur Animals Rescue took to Facebook to dispel rumors regarding the seizure of its animals. The rescue wrote that “no shelter has ever had 30, 50, 60, 100, etc. AFAR dogs in their physical custody or at their shelter,” but wrote it did “transfer some of its dogs to a local shelter” and transferred dogs to “other rescue partners.”
“None of our dogs have ever been seized,” the rescue stated, while also acknowledging that its intake has been closed since January.
