Three Anderson residents who have a record of animal abuse charges dating back years were arrested on multiple counts of animal abuse earlier this month, court records show.

Anderson County Sheriff’s deputies said they found five dogs, four kittens and several cats, three rabbits, two doves, two guinea pigs, a beta fish, a turtle, a chicken, and cockroaches swimming with fish.

Anderson County Animal Control obtained a search warrant on a 964-square-foot house on Masters Drive in Anderson in November.

They found dogs in cages in the living room among feces and three rabbits in a bird cage.

“This case is any animal lover’s worst nightmare,” Sheriff’s Office spokesman Shale Remien said. “The animals were surrounded by trash, feces and cockroaches running all over their food. There was no source of fresh water for these animals.”

South Carolina law does not provide enhancements when people are found to be repeat offenders in animal abuse cases. The Animal Legal Defense Fund says South Carolina has the seventh weakest animal control laws in the nation. Maine has the best, New Mexico the worst, the organization said.

Last January, charges were filed after a search on the Masters Road property involving 19 dogs, Remien said.

In the latest case, Dianne Cricket Osborne, 55, faces eight counts of ill-treatment toward animals and one count of failure to bury a deceased animal. Osborne was released on a $25,000 surety bond.

Osborne was found guilty of ill treatment of animals in 2006, 2011 and 2016, court records show.

Gladys Ruth Lindley, 38, was charged on Jan. 2 with 15 counts of ill treatment toward animals and one count of failure to bury a deceased animal.

Lindley has faced charges dating back to 2016 when she pleaded guilty to maltreatment of animals and in 2022 to ill treatment of animals, court records show.

Wallace Eugene Johnson, 46, was charged Jan. 2 with 15 counts of ill-treatment toward animals and one count of failure to bury a deceased animal. He previously was charged with ill treatment toward animals but the charges were dropped.