Charleston County treats animal hoarding through South Carolina's animal-cruelty laws and its own care, sanitation, and nuisance rules. Keeping animals without adequate food, water, shelter, or sanitary conditions is illegal and can lead to seizure of the animals.
South Carolina's ill-treatment-of-animals statute (SC Code 47-1-40) makes it unlawful to knowingly or negligently overload, overwork, ill-treat, deprive of necessary sustenance or shelter, or otherwise cruelly treat any animal. Hoarding situations, where too many animals are kept in unsanitary or unsafe conditions, trigger this law plus the county's animal-care and nuisance provisions. Charleston County works with the Charleston Animal Society to investigate, seize animals in danger, and pursue cruelty charges. Owners can be required to surrender animals and reimburse care costs. Adequate food, water, shelter, and sanitary conditions are mandatory for all kept animals.
Ill-treatment or cruel neglect is a misdemeanor under SC Code 47-1-40 (felony for aggravated cases); animals may be seized and the owner charged fines, jail, and cost reimbursement.
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