Yes, You Can Get Criminal Charges For Not Taking Care Of Your Pets
Taking care of a pet is a big responsibility, as parents remind every fourth grader who insists that he can take care of that adorable bunny, hamster, or iguana in the pet shop window all by himself. When kids fail to provide adequate care for pets, the parents usually rise to the occasion, grumbling about cleaning the cage but enjoying the bunny cuddles. Of course, sometimes they practice tough love, and when the kid comes home from school, the pet has returned to the pet store or joined South Florida’s infamous feral iguana community. If adults fail to take care of their pets, the adults can face criminal charges; in some cases, neglect of household pets can even be a felony. Police usually find out when neighbors report that a family’s animals are not receiving proper care. If you are facing criminal charges for neglecting your family pets, contact a West Palm Beach criminal defense lawyer.
Broward Couple Faces Charges for Drug Trafficking and Animal Cruelty
A family in North Lauderdale received a visit from the Broward Sheriff’s Office this summer after the BSO obtained a search warrant related to drugs. The BSO found evidence of illegal drugs, but that was not the most troublesome finding. The family owns six dogs, which they have apparently been neglecting; at least one of the dogs is a pit bull, and another is a husky. When the deputies arrived, the dogs were in kennels in the backyard, and it was 94 degrees outside. Their food and water bowls were empty, even though there was an unopened bag of dog food in the house. The deputies let the dogs out of the cages, and two dogs began fighting until the couple’s 16-year-old son broke up the fight. All six dogs showed signs of malnutrition, including hair loss and sores and scabs on their skin. The couple’s son told the deputies that the dogs stay in the backyard almost all the time and rarely go inside the house. One of the dogs, a five-month-old puppy of unspecified breed, walked into the kitchen while the deputies were conducting the search and began eating scraps of food off the kitchen floor.
Law enforcement had visited the house before, and they had noted the presence of the dogs, some of whom had appeared malnourished, but their condition had worsened since the family’s last visit from police. Amanda Rogers, 36, and Tjon Parks, 37, are facing charges for drug offenses and felony animal cruelty. Rogers and Parks were booked into jail, and Rogers’ bond amount is $30,000, but Parks is being detained without bond because one of the charges he is facing is for trafficking in methamphetamine. News reports did not indicate whether the dogs were removed from the home.
Contact a West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Lawyer Today
Attorney William Wallshein has more than 38 years of experience, including five years as a prosecutor in Palm Beach County. Contact William Wallshein P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida to discuss your case.
Source:
local10.com/news/local/2024/06/21/bso-swat-team-looking-for-drugs-finds-6-extremely-malnourished-dogs-2-arrested/
