Charlotte Pegues, the current vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Mississippi, has been indicted on animal cruelty charges one month after her husband, Terry Pegues, was arrested for the same crime.
Charlotte was arrested and served an indictment by a grand jury for 10 counts of animal cruelty on Monday. Her bond was set at $75,000 and has been met by Pegues.
20 malnourished animals were rescued from the couple’s Oxford home in August, with 10 dead dogs recovered from the scene, representing each of the 10 counts Charlotte received in the indictment.
Following the indictment, Pegues is holding to her innocence and has taken a voluntary leave of absence from her position at the university.
“Dr. Charlotte Pegues has dedicated her life to service to her community and the University of Mississippi. She has served with integrity and character, which are now unfairly called into question by a rushed indictment,” Pegues’ legal counsel said in a statement. “Dr. Pegues is not guilty, and we will aggressively defend against these charges. 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. She asks for privacy as she works to preserve her good name.”
