Florida: Brittany Osborne, 21, starved her Pit Bull until she looked like a walking skeleton then had her friend take the dog to a gas station and claim it was a stray she'd just found. Meanwhile, Brittany went and got herself a new dog.

FLORIDA -- The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Sarasota woman on charges of animal cruelty after deputies connected her with the malnourishment of her 4-year-old dog named “Adria”.

Deputies began their investigation on July 7, when Animal Services Officers were contacted by a woman who claimed to have found a stray dog at a gas station just north of University Parkway on Tamiami Trail in Sarasota.

When officers arrived, they scanned the dog for a microchip which traced back to Brittany Osborne, 21, of Sarasota.

When questioned, Osborne told deputies that Adria, an American Pit Bull mix, was missing for more than a month after she ran away because she was improperly latched.

 

 

After ridding herself of Adria, Brittany went and got herself a new dog. When asked, Brittany refused to take Adria back, claiming the two animals wouldn’t get along.

Due to her extreme emaciation, Adria was transported to a local veterinarian for care. Deputies noted Adria’s overgrown nails and staining on her body consistent with the animal being confined to a small space and forced to lay in urine or feces, which means she couldn't have possibly been running around, on her own, for a month like Brittany claimed.

An evaluation by the veterinarian confirmed that Adria was severely underweight and malnourished.

 

THE TRUTH COMES OUT...

Further investigation revealed the woman who initially claimed to find Adria at the gas station on July 7 was actually a friend to Osborne.

When interviewed, Osborne admitted to asking the woman to call animal services to claim Adria was a stray dog so that she would not get in trouble.

Osborne claimed that she couldn't afford to take Adria to the vet to find out what was wrong with her so she concocted this ridiculous ploy to abandon her.

Osborne was arrested Friday and charged with felony animal cruelty and confinement of animals without food or water. She is also not allowed to have any contact with or ownership of any animals. She remains in custody today on $2,000 bond.

Adria continues rehabilitation under the care of Animal Services staff and may be eligible for adoption in the future.

ARREST INFO:
Name: Brittany A. Osborne
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthdate: 10/12/1995
Arrest age: 21
Address: 5120 Lahaina Drive

(MySunCoast - July 21, 2017)