A southwest Atlanta business owner is facing more than a dozen animal-cruelty charges after Fulton County police raided an alleged illegal dog boarding and training operation on Friday and pulled more than a dozen dogs out of what officers called horrific conditions. County officials say the investigation is still active as prosecutors review potential charges.
Investigators told Channel 2 they walked into a back room and found 14 dogs crammed into kennels stacked three high, with no bottoms and no access to food or water. “We found in a back room 14 dogs that were all in kennels stacked three high with no bottom, no food, no water,” Major Nicole Dwyer said, according to WSB‑TV. Officers added there was no evidence of legitimate training going on at the site.
The owner was identified as Christopher Floyd, who police say has run the business for a couple of years, relying mostly on social media and referrals from some veterinarians. Authorities arrested Floyd and say he faces more than a dozen animal-cruelty charges and that clients were charged roughly $800 per week, per WSB‑TV. Live footage of the raid aired on Channel 2 as investigators carried the animals out of the building.
County’s New Animal Unit Put To The Test
Fulton County recently shifted field enforcement for animal issues under the Fulton County Police Department in December 2025, a move officials said was intended to improve response times and evidence handling. Capt. Nicole Dwyer now oversees the county’s animal services division, according to The Atlanta Journal‑Constitution. County documents on the Fulton Legistar portal list Dwyer’s office at 3977 Aviation Circle NW and spell out the reworked field-service structure.
Legal Questions And What Happens Next
Prosecutors will review the evidence and decide what formal charges to file; in more severe situations, aggravated cruelty to animals can be charged as a felony. Georgia’s cruelty statute (O.C.G.A. § 16‑12‑4) makes willful neglect or cruel treatment of animals a criminal offense and separates ordinary cruelty from aggravated cruelty, with tougher penalties for the latter, per the Official Code of Georgia. The seized dogs will be evaluated by animal-care professionals while investigators process the scene and prepare case filings…