Central Florida woman accused of abandoning dogs for out of state job interview

A woman in Marion County is facing charges of animal cruelty and abandonment after she’s accused of getting a job in Georgia and leaving three dogs behind. Two of them were found dead by deputies and animal services. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said Shan’Tayia Brenae Edwards was extradited back to Marion County from Georgia on Feb. 17. According to an arrest report, animal services opened an abandonment investigation related to a dog owner and a property in Ocklawaha on Nov. 5, 2025. The next day, with a warrant to collect two dogs from the property, they found two dogs in crates. One was dead, the other, Olaf, was still alive. Another dog was found dead in the backyard, still tethered to a deck post. “The two deceased dogs, unfortunately, were skin and bones, and there was no food in their stomachs, and they also had hookworm,” said Valerie Strong, a public information officer with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. The sheriff’s office didn’t know how long the dogs had been left alone. “Olaf, after being seen by a vet, was determined to have heartworms and hookworms,” Strong said. The county told WESH 2 they were unable to give an update on Olaf or pictures of him, citing a pending criminal trial. An arrest report says Edwards was determined to be the owner of the dogs, both from talking to family members and from a previous animal control case from just a few months before, in which it says Edwards was “Educated on proper animal care.”The report says Edwards would not return any of the investigator’s phone calls. It said a family member said Edwards told them a cousin would be coming by to feed the dogs, “but she could not provide a name of any cousin.”The sheriff’s office said they got to work tracking Edwards down. “After interviewing her family members, they said that she had gone to Georgia for a job interview,” Strong said. She said the Sheriff’s Office figured out where in Georgia, and reached out to law enforcement there. “…who then did their investigation and was able to locate her home address and the waffle house that she worked at,” Stong said. After being arrested in Georgia, the Sheriff’s Office said Edwards was extradited to Marion County on Tuesday. Jail records show she was released the same day on bond for charges of animal cruelty and abandonment.

OCKLAWAHA, Fla. —

A woman in Marion County is facing charges of animal cruelty and abandonment after she’s accused of getting a job in Georgia and leaving three dogs behind. Two of them were found dead by deputies and animal services.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said Shan’Tayia Brenae Edwards was extradited back to Marion County from Georgia on Feb. 17.

According to an arrest report, animal services opened an abandonment investigation related to a dog owner and a property in Ocklawaha on Nov. 5, 2025.

The next day, with a warrant to collect two dogs from the property, they found two dogs in crates. One was dead, the other, Olaf, was still alive. Another dog was found dead in the backyard, still tethered to a deck post.

“The two deceased dogs, unfortunately, were skin and bones, and there was no food in their stomachs, and they also had hookworm,” said Valerie Strong, a public information officer with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office didn’t know how long the dogs had been left alone.

“Olaf, after being seen by a vet, was determined to have heartworms and hookworms,” Strong said.

The county told WESH 2 they were unable to give an update on Olaf or pictures of him, citing a pending criminal trial.

An arrest report says Edwards was determined to be the owner of the dogs, both from talking to family members and from a previous animal control case from just a few months before, in which it says Edwards was “Educated on proper animal care.”

The report says Edwards would not return any of the investigator’s phone calls. It said a family member said Edwards told them a cousin would be coming by to feed the dogs, “but she could not provide a name of any cousin.”

The sheriff’s office said they got to work tracking Edwards down.

“After interviewing her family members, they said that she had gone to Georgia for a job interview,” Strong said.

She said the Sheriff’s Office figured out where in Georgia, and reached out to law enforcement there.

“…who then did their investigation and was able to locate her home address and the waffle house that she worked at,” Stong said.

After being arrested in Georgia, the Sheriff’s Office said Edwards was extradited to Marion County on Tuesday. Jail records show she was released the same day on bond for charges of animal cruelty and abandonment.