Murphy Woman Charged with Animal Abandonment, Cruelty, and Violations Involving Potentially Dangerous Dogs
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office
A 33-year-old woman has been charged after an investigation into animal welfare violations out of Murphy, North Carolina.
According to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), Ashley Tonya Crisp has been charged with multiple animal welfare violations.
They say on February 26, 2026, Animal Services received a report of an abandoned animal at a residence on Lunsford Road which belonged to Crisp.
On March 18, 2026, deputies responded to a breaking-and-entering call at a vacant residence on US 64 West in Murphy.
The CCSO says inside the home, they discovered six dogs confined in wire crates with no access to food or water, along with one rabbit. Animal services was subsequently called to the scene to take custody of the animals.
They say prior to these incidents, Crisp had been served with a Potentially Dangerous Dog notice regarding four dogs that had repeatedly approached neighbors in a vicious, terrorizing manner while off the owner’s property.
Crisp has been charged with:
• One count of Abandonment of an Animal
• Six counts of Failure to Provide Necessary Sustenance
• Four counts related to Potentially Dangerous Dog violations (failure to report the location of the dogs on the registry)
On May 5, 2026, Crisp was taken into custody without incident.
She was later released after posting an $11,500 secured bond.
