Officers say Toilea Fetuuaho is the sister of Maryanne Gamble, one of the suspects previously arrested in this case.
LARGO, Fla. — A third person has been arrested in connection to the case where 12 dogs were dumped at a Largo park, leading to one puppy’s death.
Largo police said Toilea Fetuuaho was arrested Wednesday morning on obstruction charges. Officers say she is the sister of Maryanne Gamble, one of the suspects previously arrested in this case.
Officials clarified Fetuuaho had nothing to do with the dogs being dumped in the park, but is accused of obstructing the investigation.
Fetuuaho is currently being held on a $500 bond.
Largo police confirmed that 42-year-old Maryanne Gamble and 43-year-old Fred Gamble are each facing 12 counts of felony animal cruelty, with more charges possible in the future.
Police also believe there are other dogs buried in the Gambles’ backyard. The Gambles had been illegally breeding the dogs and were aware that some of their puppies had died after being sold, according to investigators.
During the arrests, investigators discovered four additional adult male dogs inside the suspects’ home. Officers described the living conditions as deplorable, saying the home was unlivable, did not have electricity or running water and was contaminated with urine and feces. The four dogs were sick and flea-covered. Skyway Animal Hospital and Pawlicious Poochie Pet Rescue took the dogs in, just like they did with the original 12, and they are receiving treatment.
The abandoned dogs were found on the morning of Friday, Dec. 19, at Taylor Park. Officials said nine Shiba Inu puppies were in a plastic storage bin while the two adult dogs were roaming nearby. A tenth puppy, later named Frosty, was found two days later in worse condition than the others.
Despite days of critical care and life-saving efforts, Frosty died on Tuesday night. Police say the investigation ultimately came together because of Frosty.
All 12 dogs tested positive for parvo, a highly contagious and potentially deadly virus, but Frosty’s injuries went far beyond illness.
The remaining 11 dogs from the original case — nine puppies and their two mothers — have now fully recovered, received vaccinations and will soon be placed into permanent homes, according to the rescue.
10 Tampa Bay News’ Andrea Chu and Kristen Barbaresi contributed to this story.