SC police rescue 52 snakes from abandoned breeding operation
Police in Jasper County plan to arrest a suspect after rescuing 52 “improperly housed snakes” that were part of an abandoned breeding operation.
The nonvenomous snakes of various species were found at the suspect’s workplace on Sisters Ferry Road near downtown Ridgeland. After ditching the breeding operation, the suspect left the snakes “confined in boxes with no means of escape,” according to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.
The department said it plans to charge the suspect with animal abandonment. Their name was not immediately released and a complete list of charges would come at a “later time,” according to spokesperson Christian Felt.
All 52 snakes will be relocated to a sanctuary pending further investigation, the JCSO said.
Felt said the reptiles, ranging from 3 to 8 feet, were held in “compact storage bins” with minimum ventilation that didn’t meet housing standards for their species. Some containers held up to six snakes, he said.
The suspect’s employer was unaware the snakes were being kept on their property, according to Felt.
Abandonment of animals is defined under South Carolina law as deserting an animal “without securing another owner or without providing the necessities of life” like food, water and adequate shelter.
The offense is a misdemeanor punishable by 30 days in prison or a fine between $200 and $500, or both.
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 12:33 PM.
