Apex Man Kept Pet Sheep In His Basement

APEX, N.C. -- Authorities charged the Apex man who shared his home with 77 sheep with several counts of cruelty to animals.

Now, NBC17 has learned that he had even more animals at two other locations.

David Watts appeared in court Wednesday where he is charged with 30 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals.

That's one count for each of the 30 sheep that were so sick they had to be euthanized.

Officials have also found 66 sheep and five horses on property that watts owns north of Sanford in Lee County.

Chatham County authorities also say Watts had about 60 sheep as well as cows and llamas on land near Moncure.

We're told all of the animals were in need of food and water.

In the meantime adoptions are pending for 35 sheep.

NBC17 was there when 13 animals left Thursday for a very special home.

The newborn lambs that Molly Goldston has taken care of were the sickest of the recovered sheep.

Volunteers with her non-profit group "Saving Grace" have bottle fed the lambs every four hours the past couple days.

"Their moms weren't healthy enough to feed them," Goldston said. "I don't know what they had the first couple weeks but it's not what they should have considering what they look like."

Animals once near death will now hopefully survive.

"A newborn would look just like this, and this one is a couple of weeks old, and it's the same size as a newborn," said Chris Fulbright of Bandy High School.

But now it's as if Mother Nature is taking care of her most vulnerable creatures.

Students from the Future Farmers of America program at Bandy High School in Hickory are adopting 13 lambs.

The school runs a farm on campus and 250 students are enrolled in the agriculture program.

There's already talk about entering the sheep at the state fair.

Watts' attorney says his client wanted the best for the animals but was overwhelmed by an especially busy lambing season.

Next week Apex City Council members will discuss a new law that would prohibit anyone from bringing and keeping multiple farm animals in town.

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I can only shake my head at what this man has done.