University of Mississippi official and her husband are indicted on animal cruelty charges

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — The University of Mississippi’s vice chancellor for student affairs is on leave from her job after she and her husband were indicted on animal cruelty charges.

Charlotte Pegues and Terry Pegues were served indictments Monday on 10 counts of aggravated animal cruelty and 10 counts of simple animal cruelty, court records show.

Charlotte Pegues is free on $75,000 bond, Lafayette County Sheriff Joey East told WTVA-TV.

Court records showed no bond information for Terry Pegues, who was arrested in early August on 10 counts of animal cruelty — one count for each animal found dead at the couple’s home outside of Oxford. East said 20 other animals were rescued from the site.

The indictment against the couple describes dogs found starved to death on their property, one living bulldog mix “with rib bones and hip bones visible through skin” and other living dogs found chained or “confined in a cruel manner in a cage.”

Charlotte Pegues is not guilty “and we will aggressively defend against these charges,” her attorney, Graham Carner, said in a statement.

“In order not to be a distraction to the University she loves and that has loved her, Dr. Pegues will be taking a period of personal leave,” Carner said. “She asks for privacy as she works to preserve her good name.”

The Associated Press left a message Thursday for Terry Pegues’ attorney, Tremarcus Rosemon.