SWANNANOA, N.C. (828newsNOW) — In May 2026, four employees of a Swannanoa dog kennel were charged in the deaths of two dogs and the starvation of several other animals. This September, all four women are slated for trial at the Buncombe County Courthouse.
Who is facing trial?
Lillian Nichole Sparks, Brianne Michelle Hunt, Tiffany Dawn Jourdain and Diana Hope Hall were all employees of Inner Knowing Canine Connections, a Swannanoa boarding and training kennel.
On May 7, 2026, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office released a report detailing a BSCO Animal Crimes Unit investigation that indicated several animals had been starved and dehydrated over an extended period of time. All four women were subsequently charged with felony conspiracy and altering, stealing or destroying criminal evidence.
Jourdain and Sparks, meanwhile, were also charged with several counts of animal cruelty.
When will the trial be?
According to North Carolina court records, all four women will be tried on Sept. 17 in Courtroom 003B at the Buncombe County Judicial Complex, 60 Court Plaza, Asheville, N.C.
Previous trial dates of May 29 and July 9 were continued.
