Berkeley County Animal Control has a history of not following up on existing cases or taking all reports seriously. Their officers have a record of decreasing fines and charges due to connections that compromise their ability to make decisions objectively. Currently, BCAC operates under Building & Codes Enforcement and not the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department. Due to their inability to bring cases to justice, it would be best if the Sheriff's office could reclassify them under their jurisdiction. 

Countless numbers of animals have expired and suffered under their watch. It is time to hold them accountable for their negligence. Our family is close to this issue as we have tried repeatedly to shed light on a specific case of abuse that continues despite our past reports. Below is a statement from our family regarding the recent events. This was submitted to all local news and media outlets but only a few have chosen to investigate the facts and dig deeper. We continue to submit this statement to any outlet that newly publishes a story about this case.

To Whom It May Concern,

Michelle Reid of Valiant initiated contact with Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department because the  situation was brought to her attention that children and an elderly person were living at the same residence without air condition during the heat and that there was animal neglect on the property.

On Wednesday, June 29 Valiant Animal Rescue & Relief along with Berkeley County Sheriff’s office obtained a warrant to search the premises. Upon initial inspection they found my 84 year grandmother at the residence.  Her air conditioning had recently gone out. Philip Daniel Heatley and Courtney Heatley, the property owners' grandson and granddaughter-in-law, also live on the property but had sought cooler conditions for themselves in an RV on the property.  They also found numerous deceased animals on the property.  These animals belonged to Philip and Courtney, not my grandmother.

Mrs. Heatley insists on staying on her land despite attempts by other family to move her to other locations. In the initial investigation, Mrs. Heatley relayed to Michelle Reid and the Sheriff's Department that Berkeley County Animal Control was previously aware of the conditions on the property, as they had been called out in a December 2014 report regarding Phillip Daniel Heatley and his wife, Courtney Heatley.  Mrs. Heatley detailed that Roy Evans, a Berkeley County Animal Control Officer, had been aware of the animal neglect situation dating back to 2011.

During another December 2014 report, Roy Evans of Berkeley County Animal Control again responded to similar conditions on the property and removed live animals including a pony and several dogs, some lizards, and snakes. Because of an existing relationship between Roy Evans and Philip Heatley, Roy agreed to reduce his report of the animal abuse and neglect so that charges and fines would be minimalized. Phillip and Courtney were evicted from the property but returned several weeks later. Somehow they obtained possession of the pony and a dog that were previously taken away from them. The animals continued to live in deplorable conditions without Berkeley County Animal Control checking in on them as promised.

If Roy Evans with Berkeley County Animal Control had followed through with welfare checks of the property as he was supposed to, there would not have been the situation there is today. We believe that Evans as an officer on the case is a conflict of interest as it does not seem he can be impartial to the deplorable actions of Phillip and Courtney. They should both be charged with animal cruelty and neglect by Berkeley County at maximum fines, as Philip and Courtney have a history of both animal and elderly abuse. They have also mentally controlled their grandmother and coerced her into financial instability and debt with title loans and other nefarious financial schemes.

The Heatley Family would like to thank Michelle Reid of Valiant Animal Rescue & Relief for bringing this ongoing issue of animal neglect back to light and for first involving the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department.  This investigation was not initiated by Berkeley County Animal Control nor the Doc Williams SPCA.  The family does not understand why Berkeley County Animal Control has been included in the investigation when they have neglected for so long to address the issues on the property.  Our preference would be for the Berkeley County Sheriff's Department to handle the case with the assistance of Valiant Animal Rescue & Relief, as the investigation first started.

We are thankful that Mrs. Heatley is now in a safe environment and steps are being taken to hopefully make sure that animal neglect never comes to this again on my grandmother's property.