- Florida, USA -
On Wednesday, April 27, deputies with the Alachua County Sheriff's Office arrested
27-years-old ERIN ALEXANDRA DOUGLAS, 22-years-old DAWSON ALAN HICKS, 43-years-old KIMBERLY ANN HICKS, and 27-years-old WILLIAM CECIL GARCIA (all pictured).
They were each charged with 24 counts of aggravated animal abuse and 5 counts of unlawful disposal of a dead animal.
The Gainesville Sun reports that deputies responded to a property at 17405 S.E. County Road 234, Micanopy, after receiving a tip from a neighbor about animal abuse on the property.
MyCBS4 identified the neighbor as John Prater.
Mr. Prater told the news agency that and his wife Letha saw a little dog who came to their home and looked like he/she needed food. The furbaby looked so weak that he/she could barely walk.
“It was so bad you could put your fingers between the ribs,” said Mr. Prater.
The Praters went to ask their neighbors if they were missing their dog. The neighbors threw the Praters off the property and that’s when Mr. Prater did the right thing and alerted the sheriff’s office.
Deputies could hear yelping and wailing animals in physical pain upon their arrival.
At least 18 dogs were discovered alive but in neglected condition with some having ribs protruding from their skin.
A deputy reported that at least three of the live dogs were young puppies and were found lying in the driveway too weak to stand on their own.
Three others were found locked inside a kennel resting on top of two dead dogs.
Another four dogs were spotted in the woods.
Two additional dogs were found in separate cages within the woods without food or water.
On the property deputies discovered skeletal remains of three other dogs.
A female dog was found malnourished and with one of her legs injured. The furbaby had several puppies who were very weak and despite her condition, she was still trying to care for them. According to the report, the mama dog was helping her babies to move under a vehicle to get out of the rain.
“All dogs also had a large number of fleas and ticks visible on them along with flies circling them”, stated the report.
The report also stated: “The living puppies were still laying on top of the deceased animals who were laying in the water bowl inside of the cage. The cage also had obvious mold both on it and within the water bowl.”
A medium-sized pig was also found malnourished.
Deputies described the residence as extremely dilapidated and it appeared that there was no electricity or running water. Animal feces were found throughout and the front yard was filled with large mounds of trash. A camper on the property had an open waste line resulting in human feces to pour directly into the ground.
In addition to the four individuals who were arrested, four others were subsequently charged:
38-years-old STEPHANIE PRENTZLER
60-years-old STEVEN LANCASTER
63-years-old DEBRA FERGUSON
69-years-old WILLIAM FERGUSON SR.
They were each charged with 24 counts of felony aggravated animal cruelty and five counts of unlawful disposal of a dead animal, a second-degree misdemeanor.
LANCASTER faces an additional charge of unlawfully dumping raw human waste.
Deputy Matthew Davis wrote in his report: “All residents on the property assisted in the animals receiving the treatment they did and were directly responsible for their care yet all failed to take action to protect these animals from death and unnecessary pain and suffering.”
Part of the report also read: “The lack of food, water, clean or adequate shelter, and veterinary care directly led to the condition of and death of several of the dogs on the property.”
Ed Williams, director of the county's animal resources and care department, said: “A couple of the deceased animals were in close proximity to the living corridors. It's just very puzzling that someone living there was walking past that and didn't do anything about it.”
DOUGLAS, GARCIA, and KIBERLY ANN HICKS, admitted to “owning or being involved with the dogs in some way.”
GARCIA “stated that there [were] multiple deceased puppies buried at the location, in addition to the two deceased inside of a kennel on the front porch.”
He also told investigators that the puppies died “approximately a month ago when it was cold and that they were buried to the backside of a camper on the property.”
The remainder of the individuals stopped talking after they were Mirandized.
Director Williams explained that the condition of many of the animals was life-threatening and caused for their immediate removal and veterinary care. Due to the condition of the dogs, it will take a while before they can be put up for adoption.
Of the four arrestees, DOUGLAS and GARCIA were released to the supervision of court services.
The KICKS were let go on their own recognizance.
As reported by The Gainesville Sun, as a condition of their pretrial release, the arrestees are under a standing no-contact order, which prohibits any communication between co-defendants. The foursome is also banned from possessing or coming within 500 feet of any animals.
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