Dozens of animals in need of homes after a shelter director was arrested for animal cruelty in Pembroke

    PEMBROKE, Georgia (WJCL) -- A Pembroke animal rescue is under investigation after the Georgia Department of Agriculture found animals in poor conditions at Georgia Animal Rescue and Defense (GARD).

The Bryan County Sheriff's Office arrested Joy Bahannon, the director at GARD, for aggravated cruelty to animals in August.

Since Bahannon's arrest, the Georgia Department of Agriculture issued a stop order for GARD for violations of the department’s rules and regulations, and are not allowed to take in any new animals.

GARD said the shelter does not have a comment regarding the pending charges.

On GARD's website, it states they have been defending animals since 2006 and are a no-kill shelter. But according to the Cotton Branch Farm Sanctuary Refuge Director in Lexington, South Carolina, PETA reached out to the Department of Agriculture in 2021 about the conditions on the property.

"The Department of Agriculture had investigated and said everything was fine. And that's kind of been the statements we've been hearing from them and animal control, then everything suddenly went south," Cotton Branch Farm Sanctuary Refuge Director Joshua Carpenter said.

The Georgia Department of Agriculture released a statement this month stating, "This is an ongoing investigation. We are currently working with local officials and local rescues to find accommodations for the animals that are still on the property and ensure the responsible parties are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."

"You know, had this initial plea 3 to 4 years ago been listened to, I don't think we would be where we are now," Carpenter said.

GARD has to give permission to local rescues to allow them to retrieve the animals. Some say this has caused issues and wish Bryan County would make the shelter legally seize the animals.

"Let's say a county would kind of virtually seize the animals but work with us to be able to be on the property daily to take care of them, make sure they have what they needed," Carpenter said.

PETA has also created a petition for the county to seize the animals for the property.

Right now, multiple local animal rescues have been able to retrieve the animals from GARD's property.

Cotton Branch Sanctuary farms took in over 50 pigs and relocated them to Savannah, Starland Animal Sanctuary rescued eight birds, and One Love Animal Rescue saved nearly 100 dogs so far.

"We estimated about 450 people came together to save those 93 dogs. And now they're in foster care in Delaware," One Love Animal Rescue Volunteer Jim Coryell said.

One Love Animal Rescue volunteers say the trip cost over $10,000, but they still need the public's help to save the remaining dogs.

People can apply for long-term foster care for dogs to be adopted locally or apply for a short-term foster until the next round of dogs makes another nearly 700-mile drive to Delaware.

"Anybody that fosters with our organization or most rescues, they're provided everything: food, veterinary care, medicines, assistance, whatever they need to, to help support their dogs so they really don't have any out-of-pocket expenses," Coryell said.

But One Love Animal Rescue said time is running out.

"We need more people to temporarily babysit/foster. This gives us more time to get them accepted for transport up north and adopt out locally, or locate additional rescues that can take them. However, time is of the essence."

The next dog transport is Nov. 1.