#townscounty

- Georgia, USA -

The Towns County Sheriff’s Office arrested 75-year-old LANEAU HAYES, MD (pictured).

HAYES is an Internal Medicine provider in Blairsville whom according to MediFind has been practicing medicine for over 46 years.

On January 6, 2025, the sheriff's office launched an animal cruelty investigation that involved a property on Old Chicken Farm Road in Young Harris.

Officials found many cats who were living in deplorable conditions.

It all started with a phone call from a concerned citizen to the Blairsville-based nonprofit Whiskers Project.

According to Whiskers Project, the caller had learned from a friend that a house in Young Harris had many cats, individually locked in cages without the ability to roam. The cats were living in their own feces and urine with matted fur.

HAYES is accused of intentionally failing to provide adequate sanitary conditions and ventilation for the cats. During the rescue of the poor souls, officials had to wear face masks due to the intensity of the fumes. It’s unknown how long the poor souls were held in captivity.

Whiskers Project removed all of the cats from the home with the assistance of Commissioner Steve Bradshaw. Commissioner Bradshaw requested the cats be surrendered to Mountain Shelter Humane Society.

Whiskers Project tells me none of the cats were euthanized and they are “doing well and on a low fat diet with [an] exercise program at the local Humane Society.”

Whiskers Project submitted to the Towns County Sheriff’s Office five counts of animal cruelty to five cats against HAYES. According to the nonprofit, the charges include physical pain and mental suffering. As rightfully stated by Whiskers Project, “The offender was in a position of control at the mercy of the animals” and his actions were “intentional and unjustified.”

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Disclaimer: This story is sourced from the press release by the Towns County Sheriff’s Office and information provided to Voice For Us by Whiskers Project. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.

In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.

HAYES’ mugshot shared from the Towns County Sheriff's Office

Pictures related to the case were shared from an album provided to Voice For Us by Whiskers Project