| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: SUDLOW, JAMES 0759 (13-117690) (AR13-7080) did unlawfully and unnecessarily overload, overdrive, torture, torment, deprive of necessary sustenance or shelter, or unnecessarily or cruelly beat, mutilate, or kill any animal or cause the same to be done, in that SHE did FAIL TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE NOURISHMENT AND MEDICAL CARE FOR TWO HORSES, RESULTING IN THEIR NECESSITATING EUTHANASIA OF THE ANIMALS, in violation of Florida Statute 828.12. ON 082913, I WAS DISPATCH TO 7280 SOUTH SUNNYVIEW POINT, HOMOSASSA, TO ASSIST ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS IN REFERENCE TO A REPORTED ANIMAL CRUELTY. UPON ARRIVAL, I MADE CONTACT WITH ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER FUNDERBURK, who ADVISED me that a veterinarian from countryside animal hospital responded to the scene and ADVISED officer funderburk that the two horses in question had to be EUTHANIZED due to them being malnourished and emaciated. officer funderburk showed this DEPUTY the horses and i OBSERVED the red roam APPALOOSA, later IDENTIFIED as shadow and the cracker pasO fino, later IDENTIFIED as smoky WITH all their rib bones, hip bones and spine clearly visible. the horseâs hooves were UNKEPT and there was obvious signs of THEM being emaciated. officer funderburk ADVISED he responded to this RESIDENCE in may 2013 and ADVISED the DEFENDANT that the horses needed to have veterinary care. he also stated on 010513, a veterinarian WITH COUNTRYSIDE ANIMAL clinic, noted that the horse smoky was 200 POUNDS underweight at that time. i made CONTACT WITH the DEFENDANT, ms debOraH diebold, who ADVISED that she was the owner of both the deceased horses. she claimed the horses were close to 30 years old and that due to the hot summer we have had, the horses should look that way. when i QUESTIONED her about the visit officer funderburk had WITH her in may, i asked her if she remembered what he ADVISED her to do, to WHICH she stated she did remember, but did not have time to do it. she claims she fed the horses on a regular basis as well as the other four that are on her PROPERTY. when i pointed out the fact that i could see the RIBS OF THE other four horses in thE field from 100 yards away, she did not have a response to that. i asked her to show me where the horses were kept, at which time, she took me into a steel paddock and pointed out two stalls that had an enormous amount of horse MANURE mixed WITH hay on the floors and did not look as if it had been mucked out in a while. i ADVISED the DEFENDANT SHE WAS BEING PLACED UNDER ARREST for two counts of animal cruelty, HANDCUFFED, BEHIND Her BACK, (DOUBLE LOCKED), SECURED IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL VEHICLE. prior to leaving the scene, officer funderburk ADVISED that the doctor from countryside animal HOSPITAL stated that this was the only option for these two horses to be EUTHANIZED and that the horses were only APPROXIMATELY 20 years old. the veterinary doctor also showed concern for the other horses in the field due to their rib cages being visible. i transported the DEFENDANT to CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY WHERE she was booked for two count of animal cruelty WITH a total bond amount of $1,000.00, PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. |
