Wendell woman charged with animal cruelty; 5 dogs rescued

WENDELL, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Wendell woman was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals, a Wake County official said Friday.

Charisma Johnston, 22, was charged with five counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty.

Authorities alleged that Johnston confined five dogs in kennels inside a van with its windows closed at least overnight.

The dogs, which included two Belgian Malinoises, a 9-week-old Belgian Malinois puppy and two German shepherds, were rescued and placed in the care of the Wake County Animal Center.

The dogs had no food and were covered in feces, authorities said.

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"We take the welfare of every animal in our care very seriously," said Dr. Jennifer Federico, director of the Animal Center. "Our priority is to ensure that these dogs, and any animal under our supervision, receive the medical attention, nourishment and proper care they need while their cases are being investigated."

Johnston is originally from Tennessee and law enforcement officials there tipped off Wake County Animal Control on Tuesday that she was under investigation there.

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An active investigation remains ongoing in several jurisdictions. Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact Wake County Animal Control Supervisor Clarence Kinley at clarence.kinley@wake.gov.

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