Six people were arrested in Forsyth County after a months-long animal cruelty investigation.
The Forsyth County Animal Services Division reportedly requested assistance from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit at a home on Archer Avenue in the northeastern part of the county on January 11 after the division said multiple puppies sold from the residence had died from the extremely contagious parvovirus disease.
The first reported death of a puppy sold from the home was in April of 2023. The occupants were instructed to not adopt any other animals until the residence and other animals on scene were treated for parvovirus, which was ignored, according to a release from the sheriff’s office.
Two other puppies from that location had to be humanely euthanized due to the disease in December 2023. In January 2024, two additional puppies from that location were sick with parvovirus. One of those puppies was humanely euthanized due to the severity of the illness and the other was seized by a vet and received treatment for the virus.
On January 11th, Forsyth County Animal Services responded to the home and discovered another dog dead on the front porch that also likely succumbed to the illness. The division also seized another ill dog from the home.
The sheriff’s office obtained a warrant for the seizure of all animals at the residence on January 12. While executing the warrant, the residence was observed in extreme filth and disarray, with trash, feces, and urine throughout the home. Dogs were reportedly in cages, each cage containing two dogs. There was also no water for the animals, as the residents did not have running water.
A total of 12 dogs and two bearded dragons were seized during the search warrant. The rescued animals were receiving medical treatment and care at the Forsyth County Pet Resource Center as of last report.
Detectives were notified Tuesday that one of the residents of the home, Emily Wilgus, 28, adopted a puppy over the weekend via Facebook, and another resident, Sheyann Edwards,22, also adopted a dog through Facebook, despite all residents receiving several warnings of the dangers of parvovirus and to not bring more animals into the home.
Arrest warrants were obtained for 28-year-old Emily Wilgus for 3 counts of Aggravated Cruelty to Animals and 2 counts of Cruelty to Animals, Sheyanne Edwards for Aggravated Cruelty to Animals and 4 counts of Cruelty to Animals, 28-year-old Lashia Samples for 5 counts of Cruelty to Animals, 24-year-old Hannah Glenn for 4 counts of Cruelty to Animals, 34-year-old Jonathan Jagneaux for Cruelty to Animals, and 18-year-old Kiara Wallis for 2 counts of Cruelty to Animals. All six individuals were taken into custody and transported to the Forsyth County Jail.
The two puppies adopted over the weekend along with a cat were seized by animal control.
“The Animal Services team worked quickly to respond to the alleged case and partnered with the Sheriff's Office for the investigation as quickly as possible once the severity of the situation was apparent,” Forsyth County Community & Animal Safety Director Jerry Ramos, said. “We feel that the reason we were able to rescue as many animals as we did was because of the great partnership between Animal Services, the Pet Resource Center, and the Sheriff’s Office.”
