Woman Faces Animal Cruelty Charges

NewsChannel5.com Nashville, TN

WAYNESBORO, Tenn. - A Wayne County woman faces animal cruelty charges. 

Investigators discovered more than 60 animals on Laura Fitterman's land.

Her menagerie included ducks, turkeys, llamas, goats, pot-belly pigs and horses.

Some of the animals were malnourished.

Wayne County sheriff's deputies found the body of a dead donkey.

Court documents show she faced similar charges in Florida.

Sheriff Ric Wilson said Fitterman took in stray animals, practically running a small zoo on 22 acres.

"Some of the animals were in pretty good shape, but some of the animals were malnourished," he said. "I mean, you could see ribs, hip bones, and there was a dog there in extremely bad shape."

He said there were also some extremely skinny horses and puppies too small for their age.

As she left a Waynesboro courtroom Tuesday, she declined comment about whether she maintained a zoo on her property.

Investigators said she promised to relinquish her animals.

Representatives from the Humane Society plan to visit her property Wednesday to confiscate the animals.

Wilson said he received more than 800 emails related to the case.

Wilson said he hopes they can help find homes for the animals.  

Investigators said it's been hard her to care for the animals partly because she has been unemployed.

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