Over 60 animals, 9 dead, living in feces Sharpes, FL (US) Incident Date: Tuesday, Jan 31, 2006 County: Brevard Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Case Images: 11 files available Alleged: Wade Roger Fuller

Case ID: 7428 Classification: Hoarding Animal: dog (non pit-bull), bird (pet), rodent/small mammal (pet), marine animal (pet) View more cases in FL (US) Login to Watch this Case

An anonymous call led authorities to a trailer in Sharpes where they discovered more than 60 animals abandoned inside. They arrived at Camp Road to find all kinds of animals, including dogs, birds, ferrets, gerbils and turtles. The 75-year-old owner has been in the hospital and was unable to take care of all of the animals. As one neighbor put it, one man living in small confines with all those animals, it's no wonder he's in the hospital. There is no question animal control officers had their hands full with this case. Inside a small trailer they found a small zoo with dozens of animals, including ferrets, mice, rabbits, and birds.

"They were certainly in pretty bad shape. It's a good thing we got here when we did," said Bob Brown, Brevard County Animal Services. Investigators said they received an anonymous tip that the man living there, Wade Fuller, was in the hospital and nobody was taking care of the animals. Deputies who came out to the home were able to see several dead animals and were given authority to go in. Deputies found a total of nine dead animals. The surviving animals had no water, no food, and had to fend off an army of roaches. They don't know yet exactly how long the animals had been left alone. "The first thing we have to do is get care for the animals and figure out where the animals are," Brown said.

Neighbors said, every time the wind blew in their direction they could smell a sickening odor, but they didn't know exactly what it was. "I'm amazed. I'm amazed. I didn't know you could have that many animals in that little trailer. That's not a very big trailer," said neighbor JoAnn Ware.
Authorities had been to the home before, but nobody knew there were so many animals or that the conditions were so bad.

The animals were taken to various shelters so they could be cared for. Animal control officers are looking at neglect and cruelty charges and are also considering whether the owner suffered from a disorder, known as animal hoarding, which is gaining more and more recognition.

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References

WFTV News - February 16, 2006

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