Animal Welfare Check Ends With 7 Dead Dogs

An investigation continues into an incident earlier this month in Tennessee that left seven dogs dead, with a local deputy accused of gunning them down while responding to a call. According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Connor Brackin, a now-former deputy with the McNairy County Sheriff's Office, showed up at a residence in Bethel Springs on Nov. 4 after a call came in about a possible animal welfare issue, reports FOX 17. It's not entirely clear what went down next, but once Brackin arrived at the scene, he "fired his duty weapon, shooting and killing seven dogs on the property," per FOX. According to the sheriff's office, Brackin had reported on finding dogs kept in trailers on the property, all in "extremely poor health," per WREG.

One was said to have been found already dead, while the others lacked food or water and had trouble walking, per Brackin's report. Authorities say that attempts were made to locate the dogs' owners, and a conversation was had about possibly finding other homes for the allegedly starving animals. However, after a neighbor reportedly took one dog home, a deputy (apparently Brackin) is said to have then noted, "I was cleared to put down the remaining animals safely by my supervisor." The dogs' owner, Kevin Dismuke, didn't witness the shootings, telling WREG he arrived back at his RV to find dead dogs lying right inside the front door, between beds, and in other spots around his home.

One dog, Max, was said to have survived by hiding under a bed, per Dismuke, who said a neighbor told him what had happened. He also refutes that his dogs were malnourished or otherwise in bad condition. "I've got the veterinary paperwork in my truck from three weeks ago," he says. "They all had a clean bill of health." Brackin was charged Tuesday with aggravated cruelty to animals and reckless endangerment, both felonies. The 24-year-old voluntarily surrendered and was booked into the McNairy County Jail. That's all small comfort to Dismuke. "I don't care if you give me $10 or if you give me $10 million. You cannot replace my dogs," he says. (More Tennessee stories.)