Six dogs found caged and emaciated
Delray Beach, FL (US)Incident Date: Thursday, Aug 12, 2010
County: Palm Beach
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged
Case Images: 1 files available
Alleged: Jeremy Brinson
Case Updates: 3 update(s) available
Six pit bulls rescued from a Delray Beach backyard will not be returned to an owner who was ordered to pay for their care and who could face charges.
A judge determined in a court hearing on Monday that Palm Beach County's Animal Care and Control could keep custody of the dogs and set restitution at $3,500 to cover the county's costs of nursing the dogs back to health.
"One of those dogs [was] literally glued to a cage, in skeletal condition and unable to move, [stuck] in its own feces and urine," said Dianne Sauve, director of Animal Care and Control, "and only weighed 10 pounds. We're guesstimating this dog should have weighed 40 pounds."
Now that the dogs are nursed back to health, Animal Care and Control is looking for someone to give them a good home. The dogs, ages 1 to 3, are up for adoption and will require some medical maintenance for a skin condition.
The most severely injured of the lot was named Sunny because of her positive reaction to the sunlight once freed from her filth-filled cage.
Sunny already has received adoption offers from as far away as Canada. Animal Care and Control wants to find families who will keep Chopper, Chloe, Pepsi, Bella and Lucy as indoor pets.
"It's a miracle she [Sunny] survived," said Sgt. Suzy Dannelevitz of Animal Care and Control, "She had a will to live."
The owner, Jeremy Brinson, 29, did not show up at Monday's court hearing. Police have handed the case to the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office to determine what criminal charges Brinson may face.
Acting on neighbors' complaints, officers with Delray Beach Police and Animal Care and Control visited Brinson's home in the 300 block of Northwest Fifth Avenue on Aug. 12.
Identifying himself as Shawn Davis, he told the officers he had four dogs tied up in his backyard, according to the incident report. However, they found one male and five females, two of which were in very poor health.
Brinson claimed two of the dogs belonged to friend Ivan Carter, but Carter said in court that he gave Brinson the dogs months ago.
According to the case file, the other dogs were either tied up on short tethers out of reach of water bowls in the hot sun or kept in dog houses that were more sauna than shady shelter.
One dog was found in a plastic kennel crate with the cage door up against the concrete wall of the house, restricting ventilation on a sweltering day.
The lone male had significant scarring on its head and front legs and a cut ear.
"This is definitely one of the most severe cases that I've ever seen of animal neglect," said Dannelevitz.
Animal cruelty penalties in Florida range from a $2,500 fine for a misdemeanor to 5 years in prison for a third-degree felony.
"I've seen people charged for less," Dannelevitz said.
Brinson could not be reached for comment on Tuesday despite a visit to his home and two phone calls.
According to state records, Brinson has been arrested more than 30 times in Florida.
Anyone interested in adopting one of the dogs can e-mail [email protected] or call 561-233-1200.
Case UpdatesCharges have been re-filed in the case of the "Delray Six" dogs rescued by animal care and control.
Their former owner now faces felony animal cruelty charges.
Jeremy Brinson was originally given a misdemeanor charge, after he was accused of forcing six pit-bull mixes to live in filthy conditions in Delray Beach in August.
The dogs were said to be near death when they were rescued. They have since been adopted and live as family pets | Source: wptv.com - Oct 23, 2010
Update posted on Oct 23, 2010 - 10:51PM |
Just one month ago, six dogs lay in sweltering heat, feces, mud and urine while chained without water, food or shelter in a Delray Beach yard. One dog, named 'Sunny', was skeletal and so close to death that she was too weak to even hold her head up and was literally stuck to the bottom of her crate. Now all six have survived and thrived in the care of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control and they're ready to be adopted into the lives they deserve.
Neighbors reported the horrid conditions at theDelray Beach home last month and PBACC responded by taking the Pit Bull mix dogs, ages 1-3 years old, into their custody and care. Sunny, in particular, was feared to be too close to death to be saved and weighed only 10 pounds. Even she has recovered and gained 10 pounds already on her way to her expected healthy weight of about 40 pounds.
"It's a miracle Sunny survived. She had a will to live", said Animal Care and Control Director Suzy Dannelevitz.
All six dogs are recovering nicely and are now up for adoption. Their owner, Jeremy Brinson, 29, has been ordered to pay $3,500 for their care and could face charges. Records show he has over 30 previous arrests in Florida and gave a false name, lied about the number of dogs he had, and then claimed the dogs were not his when investigators first showed up to question him.
Anti-tethering laws require that no animal is to be left tied or chained outdoors any day of the year 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some of the dogs were chained in the sun out of reach of water or shade, while others were in crates also without water. One was in a plastic crate with the door pushed up against the cement wall of the home, blocking most of the possible ventilation.
The dogs, Sunny, Lucy, Bella, Chloe, Pepsi and Chopper, have spent time in the foster homes of people who work with the shelter's most needy cases. They still need care for skin conditions but are all doing well. Amazingly, they still greet people with friendliness and optimism.
You can meet and adopt the "Delray 6" at a special Meet and Greet this Thursday, September 9 from 4-6 p.m. at Palm Beach Animal Care and Control, 7100 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach or call (561) 233-1200. | Source: examiner.com - Sept 6, 2010
Update posted on Oct 23, 2010 - 10:45PM |
Six dogs seized this month after being left outside a Delray Beach home without proper food or water will get a second chance at life, Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control officials said.
The county has put the dogs up for adoption and is looking for residents willing to give them a little extra attention. A judge awarded the animal country custody of the dogs on Monday, and ordered Jeremy Sherrod Brinson, one of the owners of the home where they were found, to pay animal control $3,483 for the dogs' care and medical expenses.
Brinson, who did not return a call for comment, has not been charged with a crime. The State Attorney's Office is investigating the case.
One of the dogs, a sandy brown pit bull, was found in a wire cage left in the baking sun.
The dog, who has been named Sunny, was just hours away from death when she was seized. She weighed 10 pounds when she was found. She should have weighed 40.
Dianne Sauve, director of the county's Animal Care and Control Division, said the shelter received calls from people living as far away as Canada, looking to adopt Sunny after she was featured in news reports.
It is the other five pit bulls that Sauve hopes also will find loving homes. Although the dogs were neglected, their illnesses were not as life-threatening.
"They didn't stand out the way Sunny did," Sauve said. "These dogs are very typical of dogs we remove from neglect on a regular basis."
When they arrived at the shelter, all of the dogs had been left in outside in the heat without water or shelter. They had hookworms and skin conditions. The only male, who has been named Chopper, had scars all over his face and legs and cuts inside his ears.
Since arriving at the shelter, the dogs have thrived. It may be the first time they have ever had toys and dry beds, Sauve said.
"These dogs are so proud," Sauve said. "In their mind, they are in a home."
Anyone interested in adopting from the shelter, should call (561) 233-1222. | Source: palmbeachpost.com - Sept. 3, 2010
Update posted on Oct 23, 2010 - 10:43PM |
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