Former rescue director sentenced to nine years in animal cruelty case
November 4, 2025
A Richland County jury convicted Caroline Dawn Pennington of 30 counts of ill treatment of animals, torture on Thursday, Oct. 30. The Honorable Christopher “Chris” Taylor sentenced Pennington to nine years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections and 150 years of no pet ownership.
On May 22, 2022, a Crimestoppers tip reported the “smell of death” coming from Pennington’s home. Richland County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded, immediately detecting the odor of decomposing flesh. After obtaining a search warrant, deputies found 30 deceased animals – 28 dogs and two cats.
All but four of the animals were locked in pet carriers or wire kennels filled with waste, indicating they had been confined for an extended period. The remaining four were found in the defendant’s home. Due to the level of decomposition, veterinary pathologists couldn’t perform necropsies to determine the cause of death.
At the time of the offense, Pennington served as director of the animal rescue nonprofit Global Rescue Welfare League (GROWL) Rescue.
Deputies arrested Pennington on June 3, 2022.
The Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office prosecuted the case. Assistant Solicitors Emily Burn, Paul Walton, and Carson Anderson led the prosecution. Richland County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation.