Coffee County Woman Charged With Animal Cruelty

A Coffee County woman is facing charges after nearly 100 small to medium dogs and several cats were found suffering and dying on her property over the weekend in Coffee County on Hickory Grove Road. The animals were found in cages rusted shut and covered with cobwebs, some matted to the wire and unable to move. Carolyn Irby has been charged with 10 counts of animal cruelty.
Local authorities found they were living in “extremely neglectful conditions.” Coffee County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Danny Ferrell said, “It was immediately obvious that we were going to need assistance in removing this large number of animals and getting them to safety as quickly as possible.” He added, “Animal Rescue Corps was the only organization who could help us both document the scene and safely remove the animals.”
The animals are being cared for at a Lebanon, TN animal clinic.