Baby Found Living Among 47 Animals and Decomposing Goat in Filthy South Carolina Home

In a deeply disturbing case out of Honea Path, South Carolina, police discovered an 8-month-old baby girl living in horrifying conditions — surrounded by animal waste, filth, and even a decomposing goat carcass.

Kayla Renard and Nicholas Foley were arrested on May 19 after officers, responding to concerns from social services, found their home filled with 47 animals, including raccoons, dogs, chickens, and rabbits. Some animals were dead, including a baby goat stuffed in a Tupperware bin and another rotting in the bathtub.

“The smell alone was overwhelming — the ammonia burned our eyes,” said Dr. Kim Sanders from Anderson County PAWS, who helped rescue the animals. Most were emaciated, dehydrated, and covered in feces.

Despite the appalling scene, Police Chief Christopher Miller said the parents showed “no emotion” when their baby was taken into protective custody. “In my 30 years, I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.

Renard and Foley were charged with child neglect and animal cruelty. The baby is now safe with relatives, and the rescued animals are receiving medical care — though the emotional damage, Sanders said, will take much longer to heal.