November 10, 2020  |  04:33 pm

The operator of a Pearl River-area dog rescue was arrested Monday (November 9) on animal cruelty charges.

Shortly after 10 a.m. Monday, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s deputies accompanied employees with St. Tammany Parish Animal Control to a residence in the 39000 block of West Porters Road in Pearl River. 

Upon arriving at the residence, deputies found 45 greyhounds living inside the home. The dogs were found covered in urine and feces, malnourished and dehydrated. Several had sores caused by being kept in kennels for upwards of 20 hours a day.

Leslie Ezkovich-Tierney (DOB 4/10/1965) who lived at the residence and operated a greyhound rescue organization out of the location, was taken into custody. She was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on 45 counts of L.R.S. 14:102.1 Simple Cruelty to Animals. 

This is an ongoing investigation and additional arrests are possible.

“It is a very sad situation when defenseless animals are forced to live it undesirable conditions because of human negligence or neglect,” Sheriff Randy Smith said.