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Case ID: 14934
Classification: Neglect / Abandonment
Animal: dog (pit-bull), dog (non pit-bull)
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Attorneys/Judges
Judge(s): William Fuente


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Case #14934 Rating: 3.3 out of 5



Five dogs neglected
Tampa, FL (US)

Incident Date: Sunday, Nov 30, 2008
County: Hillsborough

Charges: Misdemeanor, Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 3 files available

Defendants/Suspects:
» Wilmer Armando Fernandez
» Aixa Rodriguez

Case Updates: 5 update(s) available

Two Tampa residents treated dogs so poorly that the animals looked skeletal, investigators say.

Hillsborough County deputies arrested 34-year-old Wilmer Fernandez and 32-year-old Aixa Rodriguez on Sunday afternoon.

About 11:30 a.m. Sunday, an investigator saw an emaciated dog in the backyard of 12315 Cambridge Ave., where Fernandez and Rodriguez live. The investigator ultimately saw five dogs at the property, including three outside with leads so short the animals couldn't get proper exercise, a criminal arrest affidavit states.

The two dogs, a boxer and dachshund, hadn't received medical attention from veterinarians, according to investigators.

Fernandez and Rodriguez said they didn't have the money to properly care for the animals, the affidavit states. "They could not supply proof of any medical treatment or vaccines."

Fernandez and Rodriguez both were charged with two felony counts of animal cruelty, two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and three misdemeanor counts of confinement of animals without food or water

Each had bail set at $6,500. They have been released from jail.


Case Updates

Starving a dog nearly to death will cost a Town 'N Country man 15 months of his life, Hillsborough County Animal Services announced Friday.

Judge William Fuente upheld the prison sentence for Wilmer Fernandez in a morning hearing.

Fernandez, 37, was found guilty of the November 2008 charge of cruelty to animals. Adjudication was withheld against his girlfriend, Aixa Rodriguez, who shared a home with Fernandez at the time of the arrest.

Animal Services investigators said during a separate investigation sheriff's deputies spotted the emaciated, white Boxer named Casper, who could not stand and had chronic pain, chained up in the back yard of Fernandez's home in clear view of people inside the house.

Two other underweight dogs were confined in the yard, and two thin puppies were kept in the house, Animal Services said. All the animals had parasites and medical issues.

After confiscating the animals, investigators charged Fernandez and Rodriguez with four counts of cruelty to animals and three counts of confinement of animals without food or water.

Only the third-degree felony charge on the treatment of Casper made it to trial. In March 2010, a judge sentenced Fernandez to 15 months in prison, 45 months' probation, 300 community service hours, more than $1,000 in restitution and said he could never own, possess or care for an animal again.

Rodriguez, 35, received five years of probation, 300 hours of community service and an order never to own an animal again.

Fernandez's attorney appealed the length of the sentence, and he was released on appellate bail.

Friday's ruling will send him back into state custody.

Animal Services celebrated the victory on Casper's behalf. He has been adopted by a family, and his weight is up to 80 pounds.

Dennis McCullough, operations director for Hillsborough County Animal Services, said in a statement, "It's a great day for Casper, the animal community, and our team. Our department's mission remains steadfast: zero tolerance for animal cruelty in Hillsborough County, Florida."
Source: tampabay.com - Sep 10, 2011
Update posted on Sep 10, 2011 - 5:37PM 
A Tampa man was sentenced to 15 months in prison Friday for nearly starving to death a 9-month-old boxer named Casper. His girlfriend was sentenced to five years of probation.
Wilmer Fernandez, 34, and Aixa Rodriquez, 32, were convicted in August of felony animal cruelty. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Hillsborough Circuit Judge William Fuente sentenced Fernandez to the prison term, followed by 45 months of probation. He ordered both defendants not to own any animals and complete 300 hours of community service during their probation.

Prosecutors said the couple kept water from Casper for at least three days and starved him.

When the dog was taken by county animal control officers in November 2008, it weighed 32 pounds. It should have weighed 45 to 60 pounds, veterinarians testified.

Fernandez and Rodriquez testified that they were loving owners who didn't have the money to take Casper to a veterinarian. They said they fed Casper twice a day and blamed a mysterious disease.
Source: Tampa Bay Online - March 13, 2010
Update posted on Mar 14, 2010 - 5:24AM 
A Carrollwood couple is due in court Wednesday to face a Hillsborough judge on animal neglect charges.

A boxer-type breed dog, named Casper after it was rescued by the Animal Services late last year, is the focal point of the investigation. Aixa Rodriguez and Wilmer Fernandez are charged in the incident which called attention to some of the horrific conditions some animals are left in, even in nice neighborhoods.

Casper was so badly malnourished that animal services agents were unable to determine his breed at the time of his rescue.

Investigators recovered five dogs that were left without adequate food and water in a home that had nice furniture and expensive cars in the driveway.

The Wednesday session is a pre-trial hearing. The couple will be in front of a jury May 4th.
Source: ABC News - April 29, 2009
Update posted on Aug 9, 2009 - 8:25PM 
A dog that was nearly starved to death is getting a second chance at life. His name is Casper, which seems appropriate for a dog that's a mere ghost of what he should be. "He has pretty much no muscles left. He's just a rack of bones, and he's one of the worst dogs I've ever seen," said Dr. Isabelle Roese, head veterinarian of Hillsborough County Animal Services.

Roese says they think Casper is a boxer that should weigh 55 to 60 pounds. But right now he weighs less than half that. He also has terrible sores all over his body from a skin condition Dr. Roese says could have been easily treated before it got as bad as it did.

They're trying to limit how much they touch him because it's so painful for him. And while Casper seems to have a good appetite, it's too soon to know if his emaciated body is processing the food.

Animal abuse investigator Michele Perez says Casper could barely walk when they found him last Sunday, chained up in the backyard of a Carrollwood home. Perez said that, based on her 16 years of experience in the field, she believes Casper didn't have much time left.

"I believe it would have been just a few days and he would have been dead, if we had gotten there later."

34-year-old Wilmer Fernandez and 32-year-old Aixa Rodriguez are charged with animal cruelty and neglect. Bail was posted at $6500 each, and they bonded out.

Abuse investigator Perez says she can't get over his how she says they went about their daily lives with a dog in such bad shape right outside their patio door.

"When the family was sitting down at the dining room table to eat dinner, and if the vertical blinds weren't closed, Casper was in plain view, at all times," Perez said.

Perez is also upset that Casper was in full view of several neighbors with adjoining yards, yet no one ever called about him. A deputy working an unrelated case in the neighborhood spotted Casper and called Animal Services.

Thursday, Perez transported Casper and two of the other four dogs seized Sunday to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. Executive Director Sherry Silk said Casper will get intensive veterinary care, including a special diet and antibiotics for his skin. Once he's stabilized, they'll move him to longterm foster care.

While he's not out of the woods yet, they're all hoping Casper will eventually be well enough to be adopted.

"What I hope for Casper...is to end up in a good, loving home with people that will appreciate him for who he is. He has a right to a second chance," Perez said.
Source: MyFox Tampa - Dec 4, 2008
Update posted on Dec 4, 2008 - 10:41PM 
A Carrollwood couple is facing felony animal cruelty charges after sheriff's deputies found five sickly dogs, one of them near death.

A Cadillac and a Lexus were parked in the driveway of the home shared by Aixa Rodriguez, Wilmer Fernandez and several children.

Animal Services officers say the home was filled with fine furnishings. But the five dogs were hungry, thirsty, and in some cases clinging to life.

The worst of the group is named Casper, and officers say he is so sick, they cannot tell what breed he is.
Source: ABC Action news - Dec 3, 2008
Update posted on Dec 3, 2008 - 8:41AM 

References

  • Tampa Bay Online - December 1, 2008

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