STUART, Fla. (CBS12) — Gail Giustino, the Stuart woman accused of hoarding more than 100 animals inside her home, pleaded no contest Tuesday to two misdemeanor animal-cruelty-related charges and was sentenced to two years of probation.
As part of her sentence, Giustino must undergo a mental health evaluation and have no contact with animals of any species. She will not serve jail time.
Giustino, 77, was arrested July 20 after Martin County sheriff’s deputies, Animal Services and Fire Rescue crews executed a search warrant at her Southwest Meadowlark Circle home. Sheriff John Budensiek called it the worst animal hoarding case he had seen in Martin County.
She was charged with animal cruelty and confining an animal without sufficient food or water. Investigators said Giustino, a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, had collected cats she encountered along her mail route.
Gail Giustino received two years’ probation and an animal-contact ban after pleading no contest in Martin County’s major animal hoarding case.
Authorities initially removed 80 cats and 12 dogs. As more animals were captured after the search, the count rose to 100 animals — 83 cats and 17 dogs.
The Humane Society of the Treasure Coast later received 97 cats and 21 dogs from Giustino’s home, operations director Lori Tucker told CBS12 News on Tuesday.
All of the dogs from the case have now been adopted, Tucker said. Ten cats remain available for adoption.
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Investigators said the animals were living without adequate food, water, ventilation or air conditioning, and that portions of the home contained several inches of animal waste. A HAZMAT team was called to ventilate the home as crews removed animals, according to the sheriff’s office.
Several animals were found to have microchips, leading to reunions with owners who had been searching for missing pets.