By Shelley Smith
ssmith@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — Rowan County Department of Social Services caseworker Kris Sapper could barely make it through an interview inside David and Angela Lore’s home, because the “stench was horrific,” and animal feces were ground into the carpets in the home, a search warrant by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office says.
The warrant reveals the sheriff’s investigation into the living conditions at the home began March 1, as Rowan DSS contacted Detective Jason Whitley in reference to “minor children living in conditions not conductive for a healthy living environment,” and that the children were not receiving proper care or given the opportunity to receive necessary medical care.
Detective John Brindle was handed the case March 14, and on March 22 he spoke to three children living at the home.
The children told Brindle there were dead animals in the home in cages and outside of the home in cages, “in various stages of decay,” the warrant said.
And the children told Brindle that at one time more than 120 animals were being housed inside the home, with feces and urine throughout the house, and roaches were “all over the house, including in the food and bedding of the minor children,” the warrant said.
Social workers took the four children from the home Monday. Sandra Wilkes, director of the Rowan County Department of Social Services, said Thursday the children have been placed with family.
“They are in a relative’s home. They are safe, they are being taken care of, they’re clean and they’re getting enrolled in school,” she said. “I think the minimum I can say is they’re not in that home … and they’re getting good care.”
When investigators searched the home Wednesday they seized five pieces of mail, pill bottles and various pills including fluoxetine dated May 17, 2002, a brown vile containing an unknown black substance, two Memorex CDs, a purple smoking pipe, black scales and an inhaler.
Rowan County Animal Control Supervisor Clai Martin said his department will be checking on the condition of the animals at the Lore’s pet store, Pet Place, periodically, and the three malnourished dogs taken from the home are in the custody of animal control.