GRASS VALLEY, Calif. — A man was arrested Thursday in Grass Valley on suspicion of animal cruelty.
An anonymous tip alerted deputies to several animals left regularly unattended in a business unit located in the Alta Sierra Business Park complex on the 10000 block of Alta Sierra Drive, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO). The caller reportedly expressed great concern over the animals’ well-being, deputies said.
On Tuesday, members of the sheriff’s office animal control division and a deputy conducted a welfare check at the business complex, according to law enforcement. They allegedly located the unit in question and Charles Adam Beyers, 35, who indicated he had plans to open a reptile business but was not yet in operation and did not have a permit.
“Upon entry into the unit, I was hit with a strong, pungent odor of ammonia, coupled with stagnant, humid, warm air,” said Stefanie Geckler, an NCSO animal control supervisor. “There were no obvious sources of ventilation, no windows were open, no fans were running and the air conditioner was not turned on.”
Geckler said inside one small room were approximately six plastic tubs with various types of birds in them.
“When I checked inside the tubs, none of the tubs contained water or food for the birds,” Geckler said. “Some of the plastic tubs were also covered with plastic lids, making it likely very difficult for the birds to breathe. The ammonia stench grew the deeper we got into the room.”
Most other animals at the establishment were reportedly also found in similar conditions: without food, water and cleanliness, authorities said. Animal control allegedly seized 47 animals Tuesday, including snakes, reptiles, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, ducks, chickens, birds, cats and dogs.
Beyers was cited by law enforcement. Two dogs were allegedly left with a neighbor in good faith, with the neighbor agreeing to assume all care, the sheriff’s office said.
Law enforcement returned Thursday for a follow-up check and allegedly found the dogs back in Beyers’ care with no access to food or water; the dogs then became the 48th and 49th animals taken from Beyers by authorities, deputies said.
Beyers was then arrested and booked into Wayne Brown Correctional Facility, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
