Guilty plea to animal cruelty carries jail time

A Unionville man will serve 15 days in jail, pay restitution to the county and won't be allowed to own any more animals after pleading guilty to cruelty charges on Wednesday.

In his second appearance in General Sessions Court, Thomas Snell of Halls Mill Road pleaded guilty to 11 counts of animal cruelty.

Snell will serve 15 days in jail and pay restitution of $2,531.04 to Bedford County Animal Control, along with fines of $100 and court costs.

Another condition of Snell's plea is that he will not be allowed to have any more animals except for one dog and a snake.

Two counts of child neglect against Snell were retired and the two similar charges against his wife, Brenda, have been dismissed.

Thomas Snell was represented by attorney Clay Parker and Brenda Snell was represented by the public defender's office.

The Snells were charged on Nov. 25 after authorities were tipped off about dead and dying dogs on their property. An investigation revealed that 43 animals, which had apparently not been fed for some time, were living on the property.

Multiple animals were discovered in the home, the plumbing was backed up in the bathrooms, with piles of trash, clothing, old food and animal feces littering the home, according to Capt. Becky Hord of the Bedford County Sheriff's Department.

One room in the home, which Hord said appeared to have never been cleaned, contained 13 exotic birds and a snake.

Four children were living at the home -- two teenagers and two others under age 10 -- and Hord said the conditions "were just unsanitary for the children."

Hord said Wednesday that the home has since been cleaned and "it looks like a whole different place."

"The children are back in the home, it's clean ... they are doing what they are supposed to do," Hord said of the Snells.

The $2,531.04 restitution covers costs incurred by the county's animal control department for the care of 43 animals discovered on the Snells' property, according to Michael Gregory, director of the department.

Gregory also said that all of the animals rescued from the property have been adopted except for three of the exotic birds and 10 coon hunting dogs.

Brenda Goodrich of the department told the T-G last week that coon hunters have the misconception that you shouldn't spay or neuter your coon dog if you are going to hunt.

However, Tennessee state law requires that before any animal is released for adoption by their department, they have to be "fixed." This fact has prevented the hunting dogs from being adopted, Goodrich explained.

To adopt or help out with the remaining animals taken from the Snell property, call the county shelter at (931) 685-1130 or visit them at 205 Lane Parkway.