Mandy Lynn Ocicki, of the 1500 block of Southeast Appamattox Terrace in Port St. Lucie, surrendered to authorities Wednesday in connection with the incidents.
She was arrested on 10 counts of animal cruelty and eight counts of unlawful confinement of animals, according to records and a jail official.
“She would never be able to give us any kind of reason for the condition the animals were in,” Brian Lloyd, Port St. Lucie animal control supervisor, said Thursday of Ocicki.
Lloyd said animal control officials went to Ocicki’s home in February 2012 after a report that two dogs were being beaten. Instead, he said, they were found to have been fighting.
Ocicki was given citations related to failure to provide medical treatment, failure to provide clean water and failure to provide vaccinations.
Officials returned to her home in March after a 911 dispatch call indicating dogs were being sold from the house and that animals were malnourished and living in poor conditions.
Animal control officials eventually took custody of five pitbulls and seven pit bull puppies, one of which was dead.
One puppy was in the garage in a feces-filled crate.
“The garage floor was covered in feces ...,” records state.
Food and water were lacking, and the abdomens of some of the puppies appeared to be distended.
Veterinarian findings indicated the dogs had various issues, including round worms, hook worms, diarrhea, flea infestation, stunted growth and/or were emaciated.
“It was determined that basic veterinarian care and regular feeding was all that was needed for all of the dogs to be healthy and of proper weight,” an affidavit states.
Ocicki was held Thursday in the St. Lucie County Jail on $9,000 bond, a jail official said.
(WPTV - Feb 21, 2013)
