FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — A Fort Pierce woman is in custody after police discovered five dead dogs on her front lawn and more than a dozen more animals living in disturbing conditions inside her home.
The investigation began when Thalia Flores called Animal Control to inquire about how to cremate her dog. When officers arrived at the residence, they discovered five bins placed on the lawn, each containing a deceased dog.
Major Michael Santiago of the Fort Pierce Police Department noted that the victims were not old or sickly.
“The dogs were relatively young, under a year old. All five dogs were under a year old. So that also brings things to us,” Santiago said.
Investigators initially suspected a disease outbreak, but those leads turned up empty. “Also, there was testing done at the scene for a particular virus that can potentially kill dogs if they’re all together, and that testing came back negative.”
The discovery led to a further search of the property, where investigators found 13 cats and two dogs inside the home, as well as an injured dog in the backyard. Major Santiago described a scene that stood out for its severity.
A Fort Pierce woman is in custody after police discovered five dead dogs on her front lawn and more than a dozen more animals living in disturbing conditions (WPEC)
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“The level of neglect on this for us was a little bit more based on just the mere observation, the odors coming from the house, the amount of animals that were in the house, and the fact that one of the individuals tried to remove a dog that was clearly injured, to prevent us from continuing our investigation,” he said.
The individual referenced, Wynter Dodson, was arrested for obstruction after police say he removed the injured dog from the backyard while officers were still on the property. Dodson was released on bond Friday morning. Santiago noted that the sheer number of animals found on the property likely contributed to the tragedy.
“When you’re looking at the amount of dogs, there’s only so much you can do to ensure that every animal is properly cared for. The more you have, the less ability you have to track them,” he explained.
Flores remains in custody under a Baker Act as the investigation into the welfare of the remaining animals continues. She is charged with six counts of animal cruelty.
If convicted, her name would be added to a statewide animal abuse database under Dexter’s Law.
Police say it was shocking to witness the condition of the animals, noting that the dogs in the bins appeared severely malnourished and dehydrated.