A Man Allegedly Claimed His 'Severely Emaciated' Great Dane Was a 'Picky Eater.' Cops Say She's 'Grateful to Eat' After Rescue
Stella the Great Dane was rescued from an alleged animal cruelty situation in Florida on May 27, along with another dog
At around 60 lbs. (about half of her recommended weight), Stella was "severely emaciated," crawling with fleas and visibly injured, but has since started to recover
Stella's owner, Bradford Thomas, allegedly claimed she was a "picky eater," but deputies found that she ate plenty after her rescueWhen a Florida sheriff's office took custody of Stella the Great Dane, she was half her recommended weight and crawling with fleas. Now, she's 'eating like a champ.'
The Polk County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) gained custody of Stella and another dog — a female terrier mix named Bella — from Bradford Thomas, who was arrested and charged with animal cruelty on suspicion of neglecting to care for them on May 27, according to a news release.
Deputies with the PCSO made the visit after receiving word of a dog who 'was starving and in poor condition,' from the Auburndale Police Department, the press release states. Upon arrival, Thomas voluntarily surrendered the dogs, and they were both brought to the PCSO's Animal Control facility for treatment.
When she was found, Bella, estimated to be around age 18 to 20, was allegedly suffering from severe flea dermatitis on her back, as well as hair loss. Meanwhile, Stella's condition worried deputies even more.
The spotted gray Great Dane, estimated to be 8½ years old, 'appeared to be in severe pain,' according to the sheriff's office. She 'was severely emaciated, had multiple abrasions and scabs, was covered with fleas, and was suffering from severe pododermatitis (also known as bumblefoot) on all four paws," the PCSO said.
A veterinary examination later revealed that she weighed just around 60 lbs. — about half of what she should weigh at her age and size, according to the PCSO. The last time she received veterinary care was in 2020, and at that time she weighed just 90 lbs.
Stella's Body Condition Score — a tool used to determine if a dog is underweight — was an abysmal 1 out of 9, the vet staff determined.
Thomas's 'excuse' for Stella's weight 'was that she was a picky eater' and 'didn't like to eat,' Deputy Jacob Durrance alleged in a May 29 update on the PCSO's Facebook page.
Durrance strongly disagrees with this assessment. 'We fed her ourselves, and she was very grateful to eat. She ate a lot,' he said in the update video, adding that the pup 'was not a picky eater at all, like Mr. Thomas claimed she was.'
In the two days following her rescue, Stella gained 8 lbs. thanks to 'proper diet and hydration,' the deputy revealed while petting the Great Dane. Plus, he added, 'you can obviously tell she loves to be loved on.'
Her fleas and flea dirt have also been washed away since leaving Thomas' custody, but she still has a 'long road to recovery' ahead of her, Durrance said. 'We're excited for her prognosis. We think she'll get better,' he said. 'And hopefully, she can be adopted out when that day comes.'
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Following his May 27 arrest, Thomas, the Public Utilities Director for the City of Auburndale, was charged with animal cruelty and aggravated animal cruelty.
'The dogs and their former owner will be getting the attention they need and deserve,' Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in an official statement. 'For Bradford Thomas, this behavior is absolutely unacceptable.'
'It is incomprehensible that someone in his capacity as a senior manager in a reputable and responsible local government would do something like this—starving and causing such pain for an innocent animal,' Judd claimed. 'We will do everything we can to hold him criminally responsible. We will also do everything we can to get these dogs healthy and thriving."
Both Stella and Bella, the sheriff concluded, "are off to a good start — we pray it's not too late and they respond to medical treatment, nourishment, and love.'
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