ATHENS, Ga. — Nearly two dozen bags containing dead animals were found in a wooded area near an apartment complex, according to an Athens-Clarke County Police report. Some of the animals had been decapitated.
The discovery -- near Cedar Shoals Drive -- was made this week after a resident walking their dog noticed a black trash bag with an animal leg sticking out of it.
The management was notified and police were contacted, the report said. The neighborhood, which the report indicates is made up of two rows of apartment complexes, has a wooded area adjacent to the complexes. Officers searched and found two spots where the bagged carcasses were dumped; they were in 18 plastic trash bags and five paper bags, the report said.
In one spot, they discovered five plastic trash bags containing one to three carcasses. The bags contained "bones and decayed body matter."
"Based on the fallen foliaged and state of decomposition, those carcasses were likely dumped sometime in autumn through early spring of 2021-2022," the report said.
In the second area, officers said, they discovered about 13 trash bags and five paper bags. The police report said it appears these carcasses had been dumped there weeks ago, based on the level of decay. They added that most of the bags contained three to five chickens. There were also pigeons, goats, and a small pig.
Dead animals found bags in Athens
The report said some of the animals - the chickens, pigeons, and goats - had been decapitated.
"Some of the detached heads were in bags, or in the area," the report indicated. "One of the goat’s heads had a livestock tag attached to its ear."
Athens-Clarke County Police said this is still an ongoing investigation.