Neglect - 6 dogs, 4 kittens, 1 bird seized
Tarpon Springs, FL (US)Incident Date: Friday, Nov 4, 2005
County: Pinellas
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: Susan Elizabeth Crane
By the time the Humane Society arrived at the single-wide trailer in River Village Mobile Home Park Friday evening, the water bowls were dry, the food was just about gone and the stench was powerful.
Inside were Susan E. Crane's six dogs, four kittens and a mess of animal feces and urine, according to a police report.
Crane, 44, who is a pet groomer, was known to have a drug problem and had not been seen since that Tuesday morning, according to the report. Now, she faces 11 counts of animal cruelty, misdemeanor charges that each carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
Crane's sister, Jennifer Crane of St. Petersburg, called the Humane Society of Pinellas on Friday because she was concerned about the animals.
"The conditions were disgusting," said Rick E. Chaboudy, executive director of the Humane Society of Pinellas.
Chaboudy said two poodles were confined, along with a dachshund, in a 3-foot-wide cage. Two Japanese chins and a basset hound ran loose amid the mess. The four kittens were malnourished and dehydrated and had skin problems that appeared to be ringworm, he said.
Outside, a cockatiel was in an uncovered cage with no food or water.
Humane Society workers notified Tarpon Springs police of the condition of the animals, which were confiscated and taken to a veterinarian. The dogs had not been licensed or vaccinated, Chaboudy said, and their conditions indicated that they had not been receiving medical care.
"One is deaf, one only has one eye, a leg injury - he was running on three legs," Chaboudy said.
The dogs are expected to recover. But Chaboudy said the kittens are still very weak.
None of the pets resisted being removed from the trailer, Chaboudy said. "The cockatiel was so happy to get into a clean cage, with clean water, he literally did not stop singing."
The police are usually notified in confiscation cases, Chaboudy said, adding that he had urged them to file criminal charges. Police Sgt. Jeff Young said the case has been referred to the State Attorney General's office for investigation.
The police report indicated that Crane worked for Ultra Pet Mobile Grooming, but the company's owner, John LeVassuer of New Port Richey, said Crane was an independent contractor who worked for several groomers. He said he had referred business to Crane only minimally in the past few months, but stopped sending clients to her a couple of weeks ago because of personal problems that interfered with her work. None of the problems involved mistreatment of animals, he said.
The animals' fate is unclear, Chaboudy said. Until Crane resurfaces and decides to formally turn over custody of the pets to the Humane Society, they cannot be put up for adoption. Chaboudy said the organization would go to court to gain custody, if necessary, a common occurrence in confiscation cases.
While the scene was disturbing, Chaboudy said, it was not unusual. "It's a shame that something that looks that bad, smells that bad, is routine," he said. References« FL State Animal Cruelty Map
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