More than 15 mistreated dogs seized from Ridgeland home now being nursed back to health
The Dec. 6 search was intended as a narcotics crackdown, concluding a long investigation involving a home nestled in the woods just south of Ridgeland town limits. Jasper County police arrested their target in the drug bust, but the warrant also led to the discovery of more than a dozen dogs in distress.
In and around the mobile home on Stellars Jay Road, officers found 16 dogs in total — some in crates, some free-roaming and some tied up in the backyard. All of the animals appeared to be mistreated, with some “suffering from malnourishment” or experiencing skin issues, said Chief Deputy Jeff Crosby, a spokesperson for the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.
Animal control officers had to make multiple trips back and forth from the home to transport the animals. They were taken to a local veterinarian, Crosby said, where staff would monitor their health to determine whether they had been neglected.
Romoan Chester, 48, also known as “Miami,” turned himself in to police two days after the search. He was charged with 11 misdemeanor counts for ill treatment of animals, five felony counts of animal torture, six firearm offenses and trafficking cocaine.
In early March, three months after the arrest of Chester, police arrested 35-year-old Ridgeland woman Katie Williams, who reportedly lived in the home with Chester. In addition to a single drug possession offense, she was charged with the same 16 misdemeanor and felony counts of ill-treatment of animals.
As of Monday, judicial records showed Williams was still in custody at the Jasper County Detention Center on a $25,500 cash bond. Similar information for Chester was not immediately available.
In 2016, Chester was found guilty of misdemeanor charge for shoplifting at Ridgeland’s Dollar General. He also pleaded guilty to felony assault in 2018.
A new home
Following their discharge from the veterinarian’s office, the 16 canines were taken to the Jasper County Animal Rescue Mission (JARM), a county-owned shelter in Ridgeland. One of the dogs gave birth while in their care, bringing the total to 18 new faces in the facility.
The animals were initially placed on hold and could not be adopted during court proceedings, said Caitlyn Schake, executive director of the rescue mission. That hold was lifted in the second week of March, she said, leading to the first adoption of the bunch on March 5.
Not all of the remaining animals were up for adoption as of Monday due to “ongoing medical issues,” Schake said. Photos of the dogs were not available due to the still-pending criminal investigation, but the shelter’s adoptable pets can be found on their website.
In a case like this, the shelter on Carters Mill Road likely serves as a refuge from the dogs’ former home. The same might be said for many of the two to 15 animals the mission takes in daily.
Even still, JARM faced backlash in the latter half of 2023 for unsanitary conditions at the facility, with critics speaking to county council and citing examples of algae in water bowls, animals left in their own feces and a rat infestation within the walls.
Shortages in staff and resources have made it difficult to keep up with the bursting population of animals, shelter leadership has said. The mission is unable to turn away cats and dogs brought in by county animal control officers.
National and local animal advocates convened at the facility in November, offering temporary volunteer help and discussing long-term solutions for funding. The building will be re-assessed as changes are made, officials said.
