- Florida, USA -
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested 48-years-old LISA GALE LACHARITE (pictured), a Tampa-area second grade teacher.
On December 22, 2023, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd held a press conference and provided details regarding this heartbreaking animal cruelty case.
On the morning of Thursday, December 21, 2023, Deputy Mills responded to a mobile home on Fazzini Drive in Frostproof to complete a welfare check on a 75-year-old woman and investigate a possible “hoarder situation” involving cats.
Upon arrival, the deputy was met by LACHARITE in the front yard of the residence.
After Deputy Mills explained to LACHARITE why he was there, she told him that she was her mother’s caregiver and that her mother had health issues. LACHARITE then asked the deputy to wait outside while she went inside to get her mother.
While Deputy Mills was waiting, he noticed strong ammonia smells outside the residence.
LACHARITE came back after approximately fifteen minutes and told the deputy he could go inside.
As the deputy entered the enclosed front porch, he saw numerous wire cages containing approximately seventy-five chickens, peacocks, and ducks. Some of these animals appeared to be malnourished and sick.
Once inside the residence, Deputy Mills noticed an overwhelming ammonia odor and saw approximately fifty cats running around the residence, climbing on furniture, and sitting on the kitchen counters. Deputy Mills also saw dried feces on the floors and walls. According to a press release by the sheriff’s office, LACHARITE told the deputy that “she rescues cats and cares for numerous chickens and ducks.”
When Deputy Mills talked to LACHARITE’s mother, she said she was okay but “the deputy noticed she had glassy eyes and was not easily able to move.”
At that point, Deputy Mills requested assistance from more Polk County Sheriff’s Office staff. Members of Polk County Animal Control, the Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit, Agricultural Crimes, Crime Scene, and Southeast District patrol responded to the scene.
Polk County Fire Rescue responded with an ammonia reader and collected an air sample inside the residence. According to the release, “the samples read between 70 and 100 parts per million ammonias. PCFR personnel advised anything over 50 parts per million was hazardous to health.”
Deputies and staff had to wear respirator masks to investigate the conditions of the home.
Officials found multiple chickens, ducks, geese, and a peacock in wire kennels that were stacked two and three rows high on the front porch of the residence.
In the pens were containers with dirty water and all of the pens had large amounts of feces on the bottom of the wire cages.
Inside the home, several cats were running loose in the kitchen, living room, and utility room area. Many others were found lying on the kitchen counters, stove, and inside cabinets.
Three cats were found in kennels and two of them were nursing kittens. Approximately fifty more cats were found inside the back room of the residence and four others were found in a small bedroom that had a litter box filled with urine and feces.
According to the sheriff’s office, “Five cats were found to have severe eye/nasal discharge and respiratory issues, which are common signs of cats that have been exposed to high levels of ammonia for an extended period of time. The investigation determined there was a lack of clean exchange of air that has caused severe and repeated infliction of pain and suffering in at least five cats inside the residence.”
In the kitchen, inside the pantry, officials found a litter box filled with urine and feces.
Feces were covering the floor throughout the home and piled up in every litter box. “It appeared the litter boxes had not been changed for an extended amount of time”, stated the release.
There were approximately ten litter boxes lined down the hallway, all of which were filled with urine and feces.
In the living room two dogs were found inside kennels, and inside the middle room officials found another dog and more chickens and ducks in cages and bins.
LACHARITE admitted to deputies she knew the conditions inside the residence were not good for her, her mother, or the animals. She stated she has been overwhelmed by the number of animals she has, and that it has become too much for her to handle. The sheriff’s office said LACHRITE agreed to surrender all the animals, except for her three dogs and her mother's three cats.
A total of 142 cats, 3 dogs, and 164 fowl (ducks, chickens, geese, and a peacock) were removed from the home pending a forfeiture hearing.
The investigation determined that LACHARITE “has neglected to provide the legal obligations to care and support her animals.” Investigators said LACHRITE “confined 304 of her animals to the residence, and smaller rooms inside the residence without an exchange of air. The ammonia levels inside the residence can be lethal to humans and animals over a period of time.”
During the press conference Sheriff Judd said: “It's important to point out that Lisa is not an evil person, she is an overwhelmed cat lady. She clearly violated the law, she continued to violate the law.”
LACHARITE was arrested on December 22, 2023, on five felony counts of animal cruelty, 304 counts of animal neglect, and one count of elder neglect. She was booked into the Polk County Jail where she is being held without bond, records show at time of writing.
All the Voiceless Victims were taken to Animal Control to be examined and treated by veterinarians. As Sheriff Judd said, Polk County Animal Control will work with the general public, the SPCA, and animal rescue organizations to find forever homes for the furvictims.
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Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.
LACHARITE’s mugshot shared from the Polk County Jail.
Video - Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd - December 22, 2023
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