Dozens of dead animals found on Collin County property that 'smelled like death'
WESTMINSTER (CBSNewsTexas.com) — A grisly discovery in Collin County has triggered a felony animal abuse investigation, and it all started with landscapers who said they couldn't ignore what they found.
Mike Watrous and Alston Mays are used to working in extreme conditions, but what they found last weekend forced them to quit early. "The whole property smelled like death," Mays said.
According to Mays, the crew was hired to clean up trash and trim trees at a rural property in the community of Westminster, in far northeast Collin County. "We talked to the lady—my boss did...She was saying that there was a dead dog in the back somewhere."
But it wasn't just one.
Mays said everywhere they turned, they saw decomposing dogs in cages, many covered with blankets. "They had a pen in the middle of the yard, no shade, no nothing—dead dog in there...There was a dead animal in each cage."
He immediately pulled out his phone and took photos and videos; the crew left soon after and called police.
According to the Collin County Sheriff's Office, investigators served a search warrant at the property on Tuesday, where they found a dozen dead horses and two dozen dead dogs. The few surviving animals were subsequently taken by animal control for care.
The men said this wasn't the first sign of trouble at the property. Their crew used to regularly work there a few years ago, until coming across a dead dog in the yard.
"He had a live dog one week and the next week it was dead," Mays said. "And the week after that, [it] was still outside chained up."
Watrous said his wife called authorities at that time, but it's unclear if there was ever an investigation. He said the crew spoke of the incident before heading to the property, but they were not prepared for what they found. "You show up now and it's just like everywhere you look...This is three years later—it's terrible. Something has to be done."
The sheriff's office said its investigation is ongoing, and CBS News Texas reached out to the property owners but has yet to receive a response.