| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: MACIAS, JOSEPH 0756 (AR14-12935) (CASE 14-161095) 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 REBECCA JOHNSON, did MALTREAT AND NEGLECT THE ANIMAL UNDER INVESTIGATION, WHICH IS A 15-16 YEAR OLD PITT BULL DOG, in violation of Florida Statute 828.12(1) (FIRST DEGREE MISDEMEANOR) ON 112514, AT APPROXIMATELY 1228 HOURS, I WAS DISPATCHED TO 6071 NORTH MALLARD DRIVE IN HERNANDO, IN REFERENCE TO A CRUELTY TO ANIMAL CALL. UPON MY ARRIVAL I MADE CONTACT WITH ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER MR DAVID GALLANT, ID: 1173, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER TERRY FUNDERBURK, ID: 0692, AND ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER LAURA PECKHAM, ID: 694. OFFICER GALLANT THEN SHOWED ME MIA, THE EMACIATED PITT BULL DOG IN THE DOG KENNEL, WHO IS THE ANIMAL UNDER INVESTIGATION. I OBSERVED MIA TO HAVE EXTREME WEIGHT LOSS AND THINNESS DUE TO A LOSS OF SUBCUTANEOUS FAT AND MUSCLE THROUGHOUT THE BODY. THIS CONDITION OF THE ANIMAL WAS FOUND BY A NEIGHBOR, WHO CALLED IN TO ANIMAL CONTROL. OFFICERS GALLANT, FUNDERBURK AND PECKHAM ALL STATED THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY SEVERE MALNOURISHMENT AND STARVATION. OFFICER GALLANT PERFORMED CRIME SCENE TECHNICIAN'S SERVICES AND TOOK PICTURES; SEE HIS SUPPLEMENT. OFFICER FUNDERBURK SEIZED THE ANIMAL; SEE HIS SUPPLEMENT. I THEN MADE CONTACT WITH THE DEFENDANT, MS REBECCA JOHNSON, WHO STATED TO THIS DEPUTY THAT MIA WAS HER DOG AND HER RESPONSIBILITY. MS JOHNSON STATED MIA IS ABOUT 15 TO 16 YEARS OLD AND THAT SHE HAS ALWAYS GONE DOWN IN WEIGHT AROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR. SHE SAID THAT NORMALLY AFTER A GOOD WORMING, MIA COMES BACK TO NORMAL SIZE. MIA ONLY WEIGHS ABOUT 40 POUNDS HEALTHY, AND SHE SAID MIA HAS NEVER BEEN A LARGE DOG. MIA WAS USED FOR HUNTING HOGS MOST OF HER LIFE. THE DEFENDANT STATED SHE REALLY DOES NOT KNOW THE LAST TIME MIA SAW A VETERINARIAN. SHE DID STATE TO THIS DEPUTY THAT THE VETERINARIAN SHE USED TO TAKE MIA TO SAID IT HAS BEEN FOUR OR FIVE YEARS SINCE SHE SAW MIA. THE DEFENDANT SAID MIA IS FED EVERY DAY AND WATERED. THE DEFENDANT SAID MIA HAS SHELTER. THE DEFENDANT ALSO SAID SHE DID THINK MIA LOOKED A LITTLE WORSE THIS YEAR BUT FIGURED THAT WAS DUE TO HER AGE. THE DEFENDANT DID FILL OUT A SWORN WRITTEN STATEMENT which WAS TURNED OVER TO RECORDS. GIVEN THE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS EXPERT OPINION AND STATEMENTS, AND THE CONDITION OF MIA, I THEN PLACED MS REBECCA JOHNSON UNDER ARREST FOR CRUELTY TO ANIMAL. SHE WAS THEN HANDCUFFED BEHIND HER BACK, DOUBLE LOCKED, AND PLACED IN THE BACK SEAT OF MY PATROL VEHICLE AND TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING, WHERE HER BOND WAS SET AT $1,000.00, PER THE BOND SCHEDULE. |
