On Dec. 1, 2011, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office received a report of animal cruelty from Beaufort County Animal Control.

Animal-control officers and deputies responded to the scene and located five deceased dogs on the property. One of the dogs was transported to Raleigh, where a necropsy was performed by the North Carolina Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System. A doctor ruled the cause of death was starvation. During the investigation, investigators learned that a surviving dog from the property — in an emaciated state — had been found at a nearby residence.

As a result of the investigation, Lt. Jamie Cahoon obtained warrants charging Kenneth William Davis, 23, of West Main Street, Belhaven, with one count of felony cruelty to animals and five counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals.

On Thursday, Davis turned himself at the Beaufort County magistrates’ office, where he was brought before Magistrate Donald Sadler. Davis was held under a $5,000 secured bond and later released from custody.