Animal cruelty investigation leads to arrest of DeSoto County couple

The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office says it arrested two people for animal cruelty on Thursday.

Deputies say an animal cruelty investigation led them to a home on SW Hampshire Ave in DeSoto County.

At the home, deputies say they found Samuel Richards and Margaret Hornberger were in possession of multiple animals that were dead, needed to be euthanized, or were malnourished.

According to deputies, there were multiple bags of food for the animals, but they say it appeared the animals were left in cages and not fed.

The sheriff’s office says the home was littered with animal feces and urine.

Richard and Hornberger were arrested and charged with several counts of animal neglect and cruelty.

The surviving animals were taken into custody by DeSoto County Animal Control and will be in their care until they have been medically cleared.