Charges against the owner of an unlicensed Franklin County dog kennel could be dismissed after prosecutors said they don't have enough evidence to prove most of the 16 animal-cruelty counts filed against her. Anne-Marie Green, who owns Green Meadow Kennels in Youngsville, was arrested in 2024 after deputies seized more than 20 dogs from her care.
According to WRAL, prosecutors dropped the charge tied to the death of Goober, a 2-year-old Rottweiler, in July. In August, the state agreed to a deferred prosecution on the remaining charges, meaning Green must serve at least one year of supervised probation, up to two years total, complete a mental health assessment and community service, and cannot possess animals other than a service animal while the agreement is in effect.
Franklin County Deputies first arrested Green in 2024 on 16 counts of animal cruelty, according to wral.com. Investigators had been looking into Green Meadow Kennels since August 2023, and the case escalated after Goober died there in December of that year. The plan had been to board Goober from Dec. 21 through Jan. 6, but he was dead by Dec. 25, per the same reporting from wral.com. A grand jury indicted Green in January 2024 on six felony animal-cruelty charges and one misdemeanor count, alleging she caused roughly 20 dogs to be tormented or deprived of necessary sustenance, according to newsobserver.com. The indictment named Goober along with three bulldogs — Relish, Dobbins and Boomer — as alleged victims.
Prosecutors Cite Neglect, Not Intentional Torture
District Attorney Mike Waters said the state never had evidence that Green intended to harm the animals, and that prosecutors would have needed to prove the neglect rose to the level of torture to sustain the charges. Waters said the case amounted to animal neglect rather than intentional torture, and he said the injuries found on the dogs predated Green's care of them.
Green Meadow Kennels was found to have insufficient space and food for the dogs housed there, along with unsanitary conditions. The facility was not licensed, and the state had previously cited Green for running an unregistered animal shelter in North Carolina. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture issued Green a $1,000 civil penalty in November 2023, per cbs17.com. That outlet also reported that the Department of Agriculture's enforcement options in such cases are limited to revoking a license or issuing a civil penalty, and that state officials were seeking authority to issue civil injunctions to shut down unlicensed or under-investigation facilities.
How the Dogs Ended Up at an Unlicensed Kennel
The dogs housed at Green Meadow Kennels had a complicated path there. Arcadia Animal Rescue, based in South Carolina, had received dogs from an Atlanta-area animal shelter and sent them to Green Meadow Kennels until foster or permanent adoption homes could be found. Green reportedly took in the dogs after the rescue became defunct, and was unable to provide adequate care for them once they were in her custody.
Eric Kim, who fostered a white pit bull named Relish from the kennel, described the dog as having a swollen leg, scars or wounds on his face, and an eye that was almost closed. Waters maintained those injuries predated Green's care, reinforcing the state's framing of the case as neglect rather than deliberate cruelty. The dogs were eventually transferred to an animal rescue.
What Comes Next
Green's attorney has said the defense will not comment until the case is completely resolved. Waters, for his part, advised people who find themselves unable to care for more animals than they can handle to contact animal control rather than take on more than they can manage. The case remains in the courts section of ongoing Franklin County proceedings, with the deferred prosecution agreement now standing in place of the felony and misdemeanor charges originally brought against Green.
