Debra Elaine Goulding,7 54, and William Joseph Goulding, 51, both pleaded guilty to 27 counts each of abandoned/mistreated animals.
The pair were sentenced to 30 days imprisonment, suspended upon restitution of $1,420 to the Grand Strand Humane Society which handled the care of the recovered felines, said Myrtle Beach Clerk of Court Shelly Askey. The Goulding’s are not allowed to own any animal for 27 months – one month for each charge.
Askey said the 30 days imprisonment that is being suspended is the maximum for the charge.
Officers went to the Goulding home on Oct. 25 inside the Shell Cove Mobile Home Part at 600 Secondary Highway 15 for a report of cats living in an abandoned home, police said.
They found the two dead cats and 25 still alive inside the home, which had feces and an “extremely pungent odor,” according to a report.
Officers weren’t able to catch all of the cats and said in the report that additional felines may be living in the walls of the home which had broken panels.
Of the 25 cats taken to the Grand Strand Humane Society, 14 were too sick and were euthanized, police said.
[One month for each count of cruelty? Did the animals ONLY suffer for one month? This is ridiculous, but unfortunately not surprising. Florida is not the only state with pathetic judgments. There are good laws on the books, but the DA's will not push for the punishments. That's how you get 25 counts of cruelty - each count punishable by one year in jail - and end up with 2 years of probation.]
Some cats, including kittens, were emaciated, lethargic and suffering from severe eye infections, according to the report. The officers found a bedroom that had been closed off from the cats inside the home where it appeared the Goulding’s had been living.
One of the deceased cats was found shut up inside a recliner, while another was found on the couch, according to the report.
(The State - Nov 6, 2013)
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