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On Wednesday, James D. Ling, 29, pleaded guilty to four felony and 11 misdemeanor counts of ill treatment of animals. Judge Thomas W. Cooper, Jr. sentenced him to 18 months in prison. He could have faced almost 27 years if he had received the maximum penalties.
What authorities found at Ling's single-wide mobile home on Kindlewood Lane has been described as one of the county's biggest and worst cases of animal cruelty in memory.
When Beaufort County Sheriff's deputies and animal control officers arrived at his home July 27, they were set upon by thousands of fleas and surrounded by 15 emaciated pit bulls. The property reeked of decaying flesh.
In the July heat, there was no water or food. The few buckets spread throughout the property were filled with sand.
A dog described as mostly bones with a red collar was dead, chained to the wall of an unfinished garage. Hewas lying in a hole he apparently dug. A nearby plywood wall was stained with blood.
Another dead pit bull was found in a doghouse. A third dead dog was found beneath a trailer. Officers thought another dog was dead, but when they approached, it mustered the strength and lifted it's head.
Deputies and animal control officers recovered 11 more pit bulls in heavy chains, similar to the kind used for towing. Many had injuries and missing fur. A male puppy was chained to a treadmill that only allowed him to walk in circles.
The 12 living dogs were so infested with fleas and other parasites that they were anemic. All of them were euthanized because of their poor health and aggressiveness.
Investigators searched the home four days later.
According to their report, they seized: a spring pole used to train dogs' jaw muscles; two treadmills, one with weights on it; a number of links of heavy chain; pepper spray; various canine vaccines and medication; nutritional supplements; syringes; a video camera and four tapes; an empty money bag; and a cage containing the carcass of a dead raccoon.
The state Attorney General's Office described the paraphernalia as "classic dogfighting equipment."But Angela-McCall Tanner, the county's deputy solicitor who prosecuted Ling, said detectives didn't have the evidence to warrant dogfighting charges.
"There was enough evidence of the training, but there wasn't enough evidence that dogfighting occurred on the property."
Heather Strickland, spokeswoman for the 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office, said prosecutors pushed for a tough sentence.
"We were pushing for a harsh penalty, but (Ling) had no prior criminal record and he pled guilty," she said. "The judge decided to give him 18 months."
Ling also received one year of prison time for a 2001 weapons violation. He'll serve that at the same time as his animal cruelty conviction.
McCall-Tanner said she is satisfied with the sentence, but had reservations about the conditions of his imprisonment.
"I think he deserves every day," she said. "I guess the only thing is, he'll be treated better than his animals while he's in prison because he'll get food and water."
