Investigators said they responded to a welfare check at her home in Columbia after a caller stated there was a "smell of death" emitting from her residence.

Once deputies arrived, they found 28 dogs and two cats decomposing and located in cages and crates. They believe the animals have been deceased for a significant amount of time and died due to dehydration and starvation.

"They were lying in their own waste and it is believed that they died in the cages and had not been moved prior to being discovered," authorities said in a statement to FOX Television Stations.

Pennington is the CEO and Director of a non-profit animal rescue named GROWL. Authorities said she was also employed by the Kershaw County Humane Society.

GROWL is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization. I

https://www.fox4news.com/news/30-dogs-cats-found-dead-in-animal-rescuer-ceos-home