Florence County deputies find 9 dogs chained to trees during search for missing woman; 2 arrested

FLORENCE COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — The search for a missing Florence County woman led deputies to nine malnourished dogs and the arrest of two people, the sheriff’s office said.

Dwayne Harris, 30, of Timmonsville, was arrested Thursday and charged with ill treatment of animals. Susan Griggs, 39, also of Timmonsville, faces the same charge.

Deputies found a missing woman who had been missing for nearly a month. During their search on Thursday night, they also found eight pit bulls that were “malnourished and unkept” on Main Street in the Timmonsville area.

Deputies did not find the woman at the location, but they did find “multiple dogs which appeared to be in bad health.” Nine dogs were allegedly chained to trees with inadequate shelter or water.

The dogs also appeared to have bite marks, scars and serious injuries, with some of them requiring veterinary care, according to the sheriff’s office. Florence County Animal Control removed them from the area.

Both Griggs and Harris remain in jail as of this writing on bonds of more than $2,100, online booking records show.

No other information was immediately available. Count on News13 for updates.

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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here .

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