Nearly 100 animals were found in horrific conditions in Lexington County, South Carolina. Some were already dead. Others may not survive despite emergency care.

In late December 2025, authorities arrested Julia Evans Pickett, who now faces felony charges after animal control and law enforcement removed animals from two properties linked to her. Officials have confirmed the conditions were so severe that every surviving animal had to be removed for their safety.

This was not a single act of neglect. It was a large-scale, long-term case of cruelty that should never have been allowed to go unnoticed.

Animal abuse cases like this one often involve repeat patterns. Yet South Carolina currently has no centralized system to track or restrict individuals who have been convicted of animal cruelty.

That must change.

We are calling on the South Carolina General Assembly to:

• Create a statewide public animal abuser registry, modeled after existing offender registries
• Require that individuals convicted of felony animal cruelty be listed for a minimum number of years
• Prohibit those listed from adopting or purchasing animals, working in shelters, or operating breeding facilities
• Ensure that rescue organizations, shelters, and breeders are required to check the registry before transferring ownership of any animal

This is not about punishment. It is about prevention.

An animal abuser registry would give communities and organizations a vital tool to stop known abusers from starting over with a new group of animals. It would help prevent hoarding, exploitation, and mass neglect.

What happened in Lexington County is heartbreaking, but it should be a turning point. South Carolina must take action now to protect animals from repeat abusers.

Sign this petition to demand a statewide animal abuser registry and help prevent cruelty before it happens.