A Rossville couple is facing criminal charges after Walker County animal control officers say they found a dead dog left on a back porch, its body reportedly decomposing for days. A veterinarian later discovered clothlike material lodged in the animal’s stomach. Andrew James Groncki, 33, and his fiancée Megan Gibson, 23, are charged with cruelty to animals, improper disposal of a dead animal and failure to maintain responsibility for control of rabies. Authorities say Groncki also faces an additional count of obstructing an animal control officer. The case began after a Georgia Department of Family and Children’s Services caseworker noticed the dog had gone silent during routine visits.
Investigation began after welfare check
The investigation started March 16, when a DFACS case manager reported no longer hearing the dog bark at 911 Carline Road and requested a welfare check. According to Walker County Government, animal control officers first spoke with Gibson, who said the dog had been refusing food, losing weight and suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. She told officers Groncki intended to take care of disposing of the remains.
What officers found on the property
When animal control officers returned to the home, Officer Terry Helton reported seeing the dog’s paws and legs protruding from beneath a white, comforter-type sheet on the back porch. The remains were sent to a veterinarian for a necropsy. The exam concluded the dog had been dead between three and five days and found a ball of clothlike material mixed with bones in the stomach, which investigators were told would have blocked digestion and led to a slow death by starvation, according to WSB-TV.
Officials say owners knew
Walker County Animal Control Director Tyler Bishop told investigators that both Groncki and Gibson were aware the dog was getting worse and, in Bishop’s words, “made a conscious decision not to seek veterinary care,” according to county documents. Records note that Groncki later acknowledged he had not taken the dog to a vet and claimed a person he met on Facebook was supposed to pick up and remove the body. After receiving the necropsy findings, county officials forwarded the case for criminal charges.
Charges and possible penalties
Both defendants are charged with cruelty to animals, improper disposal of a dead animal and failure to maintain responsibility for control of rabies, while Groncki faces an additional count of obstructing an animal control officer, according to WDEF. County officials say that if convicted on all counts, Groncki could face up to three years in prison and substantial fines, and Gibson could face up to two years and thousands of dollars in fines. Online jail records list Groncki’s April 17, 2026 booking date and detail the charges against him, per The Georgia Gazette.
Local context
Recent local coverage shows Walker County animal control has been dealing with a string of abandonment and neglect cases, contributing to more frequent seizures of animals and related arrests across north Georgia. Previous reports have chronicled other incidents where officers recovered severely underweight or abandoned dogs and pursued animal cruelty charges, according to reporting by WSB-TV.
