Lincoln County man charged with cruelty to animals after livestock found dead

LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A Lincoln County man is facing multiple animal cruelty charges after several livestock were found dead on his property.

Clayton Robert Tallent, 41, of Vale, was charged with the following:

• Two counts of felony cruelty to animals
• Two counts of misdemeanor allowing livestock to run at large

According to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, deputies executed a search warrant on a property located along North Brook Number Three School Road in Vale owned by Tallent where they discovered several livestock dead and others malnourished.

The search warrant came after a number of complaints about livestock being allowed to run at large in the area. Tallent was written several civil citations and misdemeanor criminal charges in the past, the sheriff’s office said.

The Lincoln County Animal Services assisted with removing additional livestock from the property. The warrants in this case have not yet been served, the sheriff’s office said.