According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, Patricia Gates Scites, 67, and Veronica Anne Faulseit, 48, were charged with three counts each of misdemeanor animal cruelty. Those charges resulted after officials responded to Faulseit’s home at 4162 13th Ave. N. Tuesday morning following a complaint.
Police say that Scites and Faulseit are both board members of All Creatures Great and Small Wildlife Inc., an animal rescue.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the SPCA and Pinellas County Animal Control also responded to the scene to help with the investigation and removal of the animals.
Twenty-three adults dogs and 14 puppies were found in cages with no clean food or water available, the police department wrote. “Feces and urine were found inside and around all cages,” the email stated. “Those cages that had water dishes were filthy and cloudy and sometimes had feces inside the water.”
Two outside dogs were also found without clean food and water.
“Two of the dogs appeared to be suffering from malnutrition, one additional dog had staples in its head and no medical records could be located to confirm the treatment was provided by a licensed veterinary professional,” the email stated.
In addition, four raccoons were found inside a large cage covered in urine and feces and an opossum was found in another without food or water. Fourteen cats were discovered inside kennels without food and water. While they had litter boxes, they were overflowing, the agency noted.
Inside the home, officials found four dogs and four birds that appeared to be well cared for, the police department noted.
Scites and Faulseit were being booked into the Pinellas County Jail as of Tuesday afternoon.
It is unclear at this time if the animals will be made available for eventual adoption.
(Florida Patch - March 24, 2015)
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