Over 200 Animals Rescued in Massive Grass Valley Cruelty Case in California

Just over the border from Nevada, deputies in Nevada County, California, have uncovered one of the region’s largest recent animal‑cruelty cases, rescuing more than 200 animals from a single Grass Valley property and arresting the man who claimed he was “starting a rescue.”

Welfare check turns into major rescue

A Nevada County Sheriff’s sergeant went to a property on Meyer Ravine Road in Grass Valley on November 30 after a neighbor reported suspected animal cruelty.

At the scene, the sergeant saw several dead animals and others that looked sickly and emaciated, prompting animal control and a veterinary specialist to respond.

The property’s resident, 39‑year‑old Joshua Evan Grayson, arrived while officials were there and told them he was in the process of opening an animal rescue, but the conditions did not match that claim.

229 animals on one property

Once authorities fully assessed the site, they found a total of 229 animals packed onto the property, including:

• Dozens of sheep (the largest group)
• Goats, pigs, calves and chickens
• Dogs, horses, a donkey, a pony, a cat and a rabbit

Of those animals, 215 were still alive and were removed from the property, while 14 were found dead, and three others had to be humanely euthanized because their conditions were too severe; several more died in the days after the rescue due to advanced neglect.

Sore mouth disease and extreme neglect

Veterinarians treating the survivors reported that many were infected with sore mouth disease (Orf), a contagious viral infection that causes painful, crusty sores around the mouths of sheep and goats and can also infect humans.

On top of that, many animals were malnourished, weak, or showing signs of long‑term neglect, making treatment and quarantine a complex, resource‑intensive process.

Felony animal‑cruelty counts for property owner

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office arrested Joshua Evan Grayson and announced that he is facing eight felony counts of animal cruelty connected to the conditions on the property.

Deputies say Grayson has been cooperating with the investigation, but prosecutors are now reviewing the case, and court proceedings will determine any long‑term bans on animal ownership and potential prison time.

Volunteers, shelters and what happens to the animals now

Nevada County’s Humane Emergency Animal Rescue Team (H.E.A.R.T.) and local partners spent days helping move, house and treat the animals, logging hundreds of volunteer hours in cold, difficult conditions.

Many of the survivors are now under the care of Sammie’s Friends (the Nevada County animal shelter) and partner rescues, and about 80‑plus animals are expected to become available for adoption once they are healthy and cleared by veterinarians.