A call from a concerned citizen led to an arrest on multiple counts of animal cruelty.
According to a report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, on January 27, 2025, an officer responded to a call concerning possible animal cruelty. When a deputy arrived on the scene (231 Forest Ridge Road), Animal Control was already there. The deputy and AC officer saw three dogs – one dead black bulldog mix, a brown pit bulldog, and an adult mixed breed dog. According to the report, all three dogs showed signs of malnourishment. The surviving dogs were chained to trees with no food or water.
The officer spoke with Torey Vining, 26, of Nicholls, who said the dogs belonged to her boyfriend but he was in jail. She was taking care of them while he was away, the report says. In the report, she stated that she had been feeding the dead dog but it had stopped eating and she couldn’t afford to take it to a vet. She added that she had contacted the animal shelter about surrendering the dogs but she could not afford the surrender fee. The AC officer told her that the fee is applied on a case-by-case basis and she still could have surrendered the animals.
As a result, Vining was arrested and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals for the deceased dog and two counts of animal cruelty for the surviving dogs. The AC officer took the surviving dogs. Vining was booked into the Coffee County Jail and later released.