Nicole June Reporting
njune@clarksvillenow.com
COTTONTOWN, Tenn. – A woman charged with animal cruelty after dead puppies were found in her home last week in Clarksville is facing new charges in Sumner County.
According to Sgt. Sean Ryan with the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Division, 29-year-old Nicole Hulbig was charged after deputies visited the home of her mother in Cottontown following a call from Montgomery County Animal Control. Ryan said she had moved to the area in 2011 and was running a rescue/service dog training program known as Raja Renata Ranch in a large barn on her mother’s property.
“When we arrived we did find some problems,” Ryan said. “A lot of the dogs were thin, a lot of the dogs had no access to food or water, and some were kept in smaller kennels that were not size-appropriate. They couldn’t move around very well at all.”
Animal Control removed a total of 39 living dogs from the property. Deputies also discovered and removed approximately 37 bags of decomposed animal remains from the barn.
Investigators contacted a lab, but cause of death for the dogs could not be determined because of the state of the remains.
Hulbig surrendered the living animals, which are now in the care of Animal Control. Ryan said the organization has been working diligently to locate the dogs’ owners. Those who claim to own a dog must send photos and vet records to provide proof of ownership. So far four or five animals have been reunited with their families.
If all the dogs are not claimed, they will reach out to local animal rescues to take in the dogs. Ryan said they receive about 300 dogs per month during the summer and do not have adequate space to accommodate the extra animals.
“Our main focus on the day we were there was to get the animals out of that situation and get them into a better situation,” Ryan said. “A lot of people are focused on the ones that were dead, which is horrible, but there are 39 live dogs that we have to contend with and we have to get those into a better situation. That’s our focus now.”
Pet owners who had sent their dogs to Raja Renata Ranch are now seeking answers about the fate of their dogs. Photos of some of the missing animals are circulating on social media:
Photo courtesy of Facebook
Anyone who is still looking for a dog can contact Sumner County Animal Control at 615-452-2616 or send a photo to jclifton@sumnersheriff.com.
Hulbig was charged in Sumner County but was not taken into custody due to health issues related to her pregnancy, according to Ryan. She will be required to surrender herself by the time of her court date, which has not yet been released.
This is an ongoing investigation.
Read the original report here.
