On Sunday, June 18, 2023, deputies were dispatched to 131 Cherokee Circle in Buchanan in reference to animal cruelty. On arrival, Deputy Matthew Gerlach met with Animal Control Officer Camp and was advised that there had been a complaint at this address of animals not being cared for. Deputy Gerlach and Animal Control Officer Camp observed a deceased Great Pyrenees that appeared to have been dead for a few days, a second Great Pyrenees that looked very malnourished and an unknown breed of puppies running around the yard that were so thin, their ribs were showing. As they walked around the yard, they observed multiple pens with various animals, some of the pens had no food or water, one pen had a green colored liquid in a small pool but no food. There was one duck walking around out of the pens, the duck appeared to have an injured wing and feet. Besides the dead Great Pyrenees, there was a dead duck and a dead chicken. Deputy Gerlach observed junk and trash laying around, no grass in the yard, the pens looked in disrepair and the Great Pyrenees had both been on leads, unable to go far. At the time of the investigation, the property resident was not at home, but was identified as Christopher Meixner. Deputy Gerlach secured warrants against Christopher Meixner for Aggravated Cruelty to Animals and Cruelty to Animals.
On Wednesday, June 21, 2023, Sgt. Lee Bauder, Deputy Jon Henderson, Deputy Jarrett Chandler, and Deputy Nathan Camp went to 131 Cherokee Circle and took Meixner into custody, he was transported to the Haralson Count Detention Center. Christopher Lewis Meixner, a 36-year-old W/M has been charged with Aggravated Animal Cruelty and Animal Cruelty. The other animals in this case have been removed from the property.
“This is a terrible case of animal cruelty,” states Sheriff Stacy Williams. “If you own an animal, whether it be livestock or domesticated, it is your responsibility to care for them. We will not put up with animal cruelty in this county.”
