PETA protests animal cruelty charges in Bertie County

BERTIE COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - PETA and Bertie County residents gathered in front of the courthouse on Wednesday, protesting before the first appearance of a mother and daughter charged in the death of three dogs.

“To bring awareness and to remember JuJu, Draco, and Eve, who were three dogs that were kept chained outside 24/7. They were found dead back in November,” said Rachel Bellis, PETA cruelty investigations local affairs director.

The protest aimed to ban chaining dogs outside and bring awareness to the recent death of three dogs in Bertie County.

“It made me sick to my stomach,” said Vicki Nussbaumer, a Bertie County resident.

Organizers chose Wednesday to protest as the owners of the three dogs that were found dead made their first court appearance as well.

“It’s freezing out here. I can’t feel my hands or feet, but countless dogs in Bertie County are suffering and struggling to survive every single day in this frigid weather,” Bellis said.

Tanikia Peele and her daughter, Sha’lexia Peele, will receive a court-appointed attorney at their next court date on March 4. It was made clear they did not want to speak with WITN.

The case is not the only one concerning animal cruelty in the county, according to resident Chelly Sessoms, who just happened to walk by the PETA protest.

“I’m so happy and pleased. It’s like being in church almost, because you’ve got so many people who are willing to help animals, which I didn’t think there was anyone here. I’ve been here that long. I moved here like a year or two years ago and started seeing all this abuse,” Sessoms said.

PETA and some in the community are hoping lawmakers institute a chaining ban to help stop the abuse they’re seeing.

“Those long ordinances need to be passed, the constant chaining and using the dog for a security system. It’s uncalled for,” Nussbaumer said.

WITN also reached out to the Bertie County manager to see if the advocacy had spurred the creation of a chaining ordinance but has not yet heard back.