Emaciated dogs rescued in Auburndale animal cruelty case on road to recovery
The Brief
A pair of dogs rescued from an animal cruelty case are on the road to recovery.
Stella and Bella were seized from their owner, who was charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty and one count of animal cruelty.
Three days at the shelter, and Stella has already gained nearly eight pounds.
AUBURNDALE, Fla. - A pair of dogs rescued from an animal cruelty case are getting some much-needed TLC.
On Tuesday, Stella and Bella were seized from their owner, Bradford Thomas, 37, who was charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty, which is a felony, and one count of animal cruelty, a misdemeanor.
READ: Auburndale's director of public utilities arrested for animal abuse after Great Dane found emaciated
The backstory
Stella, the nine-year-old Great Dane, and Bella, the 19-year-old terrier mix, are sisters.
"They've been living together their entire life," said Det. Jacob Durrance with the animal cruelty investigations unit.
Unfortunately, their home life wasn't the best.
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"Both of them were severely emaciated and underweight," said Durrance. "Absolutely covered in fleas."
Officers with the Auburndale Police Department and Polk County Animal Cruelty investigators rescued the dogs from Thomas' home on Diamond Ridge Drive. Thomas was a public utility director for the City of Auburndale.
"Some witnesses saw their condition while they were outside, and, luckily, they saw something and said something," said Durrance.
Dig deeper
Three days at the shelter, and Stella has already gained nearly eight pounds. She weighs 68 pounds and a dog her size should weigh more than 100.
MORE: Gov. DeSantis signs Dexter's Law, Trooper's Law targeting animal abuse
"The owner's excuse was she was a picky eater, and she has absolutely proven that's not the case," said Durrance. She loves to eat anything we give her."
Durrance said she must've been starving for at least three months.
"We're lucky we got to her when we did, cause she didn't have very much longer to live in this condition," he said.
Meanwhile, Bella has gained a pound. Both dogs are getting antibiotics, pain meds, baths and lots of love.
"I've adopted my own dog from animal control here as a rescue, so I hope that Stella and Bella can get a nice, loving family and get adopted together as well," said Durrance.
What's next
Stella and Bella will be placed up for adoption eventually. In the meantime, there are a lot of dogs and cats looking for their forever home. The Polk County Animal Shelter hosts free adoptions every Saturday.
The Source
The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Carla Bayron.
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