Dog Hoarding & Abuse -
Fort Myers Shores 

In August 2009 Animal Services Officers, with assistance from the Lee County Sheriff's Office to obtain a search warrant, rescued 15 dogs and one cat from a home.  The residents advertised themselves as a non-profit, no-kill rescue.  The resident of the home at the time of confiscation was convicted of animal cruelty and sentenced to six months in jail and three years probation.  He is not allowed any contact with animals during this probation.  The owner of the home has previous animal cruelty convictions and the conditions of his probation stipulated that he own no more than five animals.  The animals confiscated were adopted into new homes but many required medical treatment and foster care prior to being placed into to new homes.

 

For protection Officers wore hazmat suits, masks, gloves, and shoe covers and were sprayed with flea and tick spay before entering the home. 

 

The fire department delivered fans to help Officers breathe while inside the home.  Due to the stench of feces and urine the air was as at toxic levels.

The animals were removed first and placed into the LCDAS mobile veterinary clinic parked outside the home to begin immediate treatment.

The floor of the home was packed with layers of feces and urine which had built up over a period of years.

Livingroom

Kitchen

Bedroom

Bathroom

Combined with the stench, the inside temperature of the home was 82 degrees.

Evidence was collected and bagged to submit to the State Attorney's Office to prosecute the cruelty case.

The building inspector condemned the home as unfit for human occupancy.