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Dunlap animal rescue nets 60 dogs, six cats, a parrot and a goat
Approximately 60 dogs and other animals were rescued from atrocious conditions in Sequatchie County, Tennessee. The animals, many in need of urgent veterinary care, were living in absolute filth.
The man charged with felony animal cruelty in Sequatchie County in December has pleaded guilty to the charges.
Geoffrey Deane Peterson, who had more than 60 animals in filthy conditions at a home in Dunlap, pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and was sentenced to a total of five years on probation, said Sequatchie County Circuit Court Clerk Karen Millsaps.
As part of his sentence, Peterson was ordered not to own any animals during the probation period and to perform 100 hours of community service, Millsaps said. Peterson appeared before Judge Justin Angel on Wednesday morning.
Steve Strain, assistant district attorney in the 12th Judicial District, said Peterson entered the plea by criminal information, which means the case did not go through the grand jury or a preliminary hearing.
"I'm very pleased with the plea," Strain said. "It was important for us to get a plea to a felony in this case."
After his court appearance, Peterson was released to Hamilton County authorities to face other charges.
Peterson was arrested Dec. 19 after Sequatchie County deputies raided his Dunlap home and found more than 60 animals, mostly dogs, living in squalor and surrounded by feces. The dead bodies of dogs and an opossum were found in a freezer.
Following his arrest in Sequatchie, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents raided Peterson's two medical clinics and a home in Hixson in January.
DEA officials would not discuss the investigation in January, but after the raids, Peterson's medical license was suspended under an emergency order by the Tennessee Board of Nursing. The order listed 17 reasons why Peterson presented an "extreme and untenable danger to his patients and the public of Tennessee."
Investigators also searched a Hixson home connected to Peterson, where they found the man's 88-year-old father, Walter, in poor condition. On Jan. 23, Peterson was charged with willful abuse and neglect of an senior citizen.
In a news release Wednesday, the Humane Society of the United States applauded the guilty plea and sentencing. The society said officials still are working to find homes for the animals taken from Peterson.
"Since December, these animals have been getting the attention and compassion they deserve from our rescue partners -- some have even found forever families," said Leighann Lassiter, Tennessee state director for The Humane Society of the United States. "We're so grateful to the Sequatchie County Sheriff's Department and Assistant District Attorney Steve Strain for their diligent work to see this case through."
Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben.benton1 or 423-757-6569.