TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

Man, Woman Charged With Animal Cruelty

ADVERTISEMENT

By Joe  Seelig | Highlands Today

Published: January 5, 2008

AVON PARK — An Avon Park man and woman were free Thursday on $3,000 bail each, charged in connection with an animal cruelty case dating back to July.

Nathanel "Nate" Rashaard Littles, 31, and Peruisa Faye Mack, 30, both of 1437 Winegard Ave., Avon Park, were each charged on warrants with three counts of causing cruel death, pain and suffering to animals (dogs).

They were arrested Wednesday at the Highlands County Jail.

It was Friday, July 27, when the Highlands County Sheriff's Office sent Deputy Kelly White to investigate a complaint of animal cruelty at the Winegard Avenue address.

Highlands County Animal Control Supervisor Darryl Scott and fellow employee Ron Davis reported that based upon their experience and training it appeared the dogs were malnourished and had been tied up for a great deal of time.

When investigators arrived, they found a dead pit bull dog with a metal chain tightly wrapped around its neck, the report stated.

No food or water was found near the dog.

A second mixed-breed dog was found at a makeshift dog house with a plastic wire wound tightly around the dog's neck. The wire had to be cut by Scott to get it off. Again there was no food or water in sight.

The third dog, a dalmatian, was found with an injury to its head, caused by an unknown object. This dog did not have food or water either, the report stated.

Scott was not available Friday for comment.

Fortunately, cases of animal neglect or animal cruelty didn't happen too often in Highlands County in 2007.

Pat Pablo, office manager with the Highlands County Animal Control, said Friday there were only about six actual cases that she could recall.

"On a daily basis we go out and check on the welfare of animals, but it's usually nothing that's against the law," she said.

In the case of the two dogs seized on July 27, Pablo said both dogs were put to sleep on Oct. 3.

"We weren't able to find anyone, any family member to take them," she said. "The owners never contacted us and we couldn't find them."

They were not really candidates for adoption because they were in such poor shape, she said.

The dalmatian had a pretty good disposition, but the brown cur was indifferent, as if it had never had any affection, she said.

Highlands County Sheriff's General Counsel Michael D. Durham said Friday that there are two distinct charges that can be dealt with in different ways.

There is the criminal charge of animal cruelty and then there is animal neglect, when a person leaves animals in distress.

"A person can be ordered to provide care of the animal through the county court," Durham said, saying those animals may be left with the individual and monitored.

In other cases animals not adequately provided for can be taken by animal control. Those animals can be adopted out to residents, or be returned to the owner if conditions allow.

"The court, through its criminal finding, may put conditions on individuals to return them or to enjoin them from ever owning them again," he said.

In other cases where an animal is suffering it may be destroyed.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT