Sheriff: Woman arrested after dumping 9 dogs in wooded area

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — A woman has been arrested and charged after nine of her dogs were found dumped in a wooded area in Martin County, Florida, officials say.

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Deborah Perez, 62, reportedly said that she could no longer handle the dogs so she drove about 5 miles from her house and dumped the nine dogs in a parking lot by a wooded area, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. The dogs were purebred Lahsa Apsos that were matted, filthy and confused, according to authorities. Their ages ranged from 4 months old to 4 years old.

The dogs were dumped during high temperatures without food or water, authorities said, according to WFLA.

Deputies said that the dogs were picked up one by one and were “brought to safety” by Martin County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services Supervisor Karen Kneubehl, Officer Shannon McGee and Officer Tabitha Queen along with citizens in the area, according to the news outlet.

Criminal Investigation Detective Christine Polizzi looked into the case and received multiple tips that eventually led her to Perez, the sheriff’s office said. Some of the tips claimed that Perez went from owning multiple dogs to just three and she had previously claimed she knew nothing about the dogs.

Perez was charged with nine counts of animal abandonment/cruelty, WFLA reported. Perez is being held on a $45,000 bond, according to the sheriff’s office.

“The next step is to prepare the dogs for new loving homes. This effort is in the hands of the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, which has provided round-the-clock care for the animals since they were recovered. This is a time-consuming and costly venture and we are grateful for their dedication,” the sheriff’s office said.