16 dogs rescued, 3 found dead in Lonoke County animal cruelty case

LONOKE COUNTY, Ark. – What started as an anonymous tip quickly turned into one of the most disturbing animal cruelty cases the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office has seen.

Deputies say the call came in about dogs being kept in poor conditions in the South Bend area of the county.

When investigators arrived, the sight was shocking—16 pit bulls chained outside on short chains, severely malnourished and without access to food or water. Three additional dogs were found dead, their collars still fastened around their necks.

The animal’s owner, 38-year-old Daniel Marlin Toennies, was arrested at the scene. He is charged with 19 counts of aggravated animal cruelty, a Class D felony. Toennies has since been released on bond.

Sgt. Tonya Soule, who heads the Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit, said deputies were horrified by the conditions.

“Every one of them, you could see their ribs, and you could see their hipbones,” Soule said. “It was a very terrible situation.”

Soule added that when deputies served a search warrant, Toennies agreed, but not immediately, to surrender the animals so they could receive immediate care.

Jak’s Second Chance Rescue and Novastar Rescue were called in to assist with transporting and treating the dogs. Several required emergency medical attention, including one pregnant dog, and nearly all of the animals tested positive for heartworms.

Adding to the difficulty, Lonoke County does not operate a county animal shelter. Cabot, like other cities, has facilities, but the sheriff’s office itself relies heavily on partnerships with city shelters and rescues, as well as community donations.

Soule said that due to the lack of a county shelter, it often means staff, including Sheriff John Staley, personally pay out-of-pocket to help cover medical bills.

“We don’t have a budget, but we do have a heart for animals,” she said. “We’re not going to tolerate animal cruelty in this county.”

Rescue officials emphasized that, despite the grim conditions, the dogs’ personalities remained hopeful.

“They were so friendly and all they want is to be loved and held and petted and taken care of,” Soule said.

The sheriff’s office and rescue groups are now seeking the community’s help. Medical bills are piling up, and more foster homes and adopters are needed to ensure the dogs have safe places to go once they recover.

If you would like to help, you can email Sgt. Tonya Soule at tsoule@lonokeso.com to donate or inquire about adopting animals directly through the sheriff’s office.

To apply to foster, adopt, or donate through Jak’s Second Chance Rescue by visiting linktr.ee/jaksrescueranch. Authorities say it took one tip to change the fate of these dogs—and that now, the community can play a vital role in giving them a second chance at life. To submit a tip, email