Frances T. Evans, 53, was arrested Wednesday and charged with 53 counts of animal abandonment. Deputies said Evan was being investigated for animal hoarding and she was supposed to surrender the cats and dogs.
Instead, deputies say Evans drove them to Hernando County with the intent of hiding them in the U-Haul.
Deputies were alerted to the situation by Pasco County Code Enforcement officials who called at 1:25 p.m. to report the abandoned animals. They were in a truck in the Publix parking lot on Mariner and County Line Road.
The deputies who responded said they could hear the animals in "obvious distress" inside the truck.
They opened the door to the U-Haul and found 50 cats and three dogs inside. Deputies said the animals were inside plastic containers and that the interior of the truck was "extremely hot."
Neighbor Rose Carlisle said Evans is a good person but just couldn't afford to do what she really needed to do for them.
Deputies said at the time that they could not find a driver for the truck or anyone who was responsible for the animals, which led them to believe they had been abandoned.
Animal Service officials said most of the animals were in need of immediate veterinary attention, so they were taken to Hernando County Animal Services.
The shelter's staff evaluated the cats and determined they all had health conditions ranging from fleas and ear mites to signs of respiratory infection. Officials said most of the animals were not well-socialized.
Ultimately, the staff euthanized 39 of the cats. The 11 that were deemed to be the healthiest and most well-socialized were saved. Shelter officials hope they will be available for adoption soon.
"If people are interested in these animals, then we recommend that they come to the shelter and take a look," Animal Services spokesperson Shannon Finch said. "We absolutely want to see a good outcome to this."
The three dogs - a black Labrador retriever, a chocolate Labrador retriever and a dark brown Chow mix - will be be evaluated Wednesday.
(baynews9 - May 22, 2013)
