A husband and wife team who operated an alleged puppy mill on their Johnstonville Road property here will appear in Lamar superior court May 9. John David Matthews, 63, and Latitia Adele Matthews, 39, each face 43 counts of cruelty to animals and one count of improper disposal of dead animals. ******************** NOTICE: This story and photo(s) are under copyright. They may not be republished or disseminated in any form or format – including social media – without explicit permission. ********************* David Matthews faces three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals while Latitia Matthews faces two counts of that same offense. The Matthews are represented by Thomaston attorney Johnnie L. Caldwell Jr., a former state representative and superior court judge in the Griffin circuit. Caldwell has filed a motion for preliminary hearings on the charges against his clients. The Matthews were arrested March 13 when state agriculture department officials and Lamar investigators raided their property, finding dogs living in filthy, excrement-filled pens without food or water. Eighteen live pigs and nine dead pigs were also located. Hungry dogs roaming the property were seen eating the dead pigs during the raid.
Be First to Comment