Florida: Brevard County refuses to do anything about breeder / hoarder Michelle Gibson - even gives her sick cats back to her

FLORIDA -- A local woman with up to 30 cats is defying a Rockledge city law, and the city believes there is nothing it can do about it.

Cats were bandaged and sick when Brevard County Animal Services removed 16 of them from a Rockledge home less than a month ago.

 

 

City law limits homeowners to no more than four cats at a time.  But after the owner MICHELLE GIBSON reimbursed the county $2,000 for their rehabilitation, she got her cats back.

The county attorney said there’s no legal grounds to take away the cats permanently and that leaves the city unable to enforce its own law.

A county spokesman said the animals were not considered criminally neglected, and therefore they had to be given back.

 

 

 

Neighbors say they're miserable, that the ammonia smell coming from the home is unbearable. And they worry about the cats suffering. One neighbor said she [the owner] chooses to live in those conditions, but the cats don't have any say so about it. They can't get out.

Clearly, they don't know their own laws. If the law says you're not allowed more than 4 animals, she needs to be cited in city court. The judge can order her to get into compliance. If she doesn't, she can face contempt charges - or at least be cited over and over until she complies. 

How can cats need $2,000 worth of veterinary care and yet not have been criminally neglected by the owner?? 

Why can't she be cited under nuisance laws? If the ammonia stench is so bad that neighbors cannot enjoy their own property, this property is a nuisance and her breeding business shut down.

Weepy eyes

One person commented on the article: 

Actually I'm pretty sure based on the pictures and the condition of the cats I saw "IN PERSON" that she's not caring for them. They had eye infections, sinus infections, males were not being fixed, females were bred and she didn't even know it. Males were spraying all over the house. The cats are being inbred to a point where newborn litters would not live 24 hours.

(WESH - March 17, 2016)

BREVARD COUNTY ORDINANCE AGAINST ANIMAL CRUELTY:
Sec. 14-53. - Cruel and inhumane treatment of animals prohibited.
It is a violation of this article for any person to commit cruel or inhumane treatment to any animal. The civil penalty provided for a violation of this section is in addition to, and separate apart from, any criminal penalty for a violation of F.S. §§ 828.12 or 828.13. The term "cruel treatment" means any act of neglect, torture or torment that causes unjustifiable pain or suffering of an animal. The term "inhumane treatment" means acts which are physically cruel or expose an animal to unusual, unnecessary and otherwise avoidable physical harm. The following acts shall be deemed cruel or inhumane treatment to animals; however, this list shall not be construed as excluding other acts which may amount to cruel or inhumane treatment:

(5)
Keeping any animal in any enclosure without wholesome exercise, rest, sanitary conditions and change of air;

 

(9)
Failing to either provide reasonable veterinary care to any maimed, sick, infirm, or diseased animal, or have such animal expeditiously and humanely euthanized, which failure results in the cruel death, or excessive or repeated exposure to unnecessary pain and suffering;