Authorities in Florida rescued at least 20 Border Collies from a severely neglected Palm City home where officials said animal waste covered virtually every surface.
Paige O’Donnell, 62, a former American Kennel Club breeder described by authorities as an alleged hoarder, was arrested Monday after Martin County sheriff’s deputies served a warrant at her residence, Sheriff John Budensiek said.
Deputies in hazmat gear removed the dogs after animal services detectives began monitoring O’Donnell following complaints from neighbors. Investigators also said they were concerned that dead animals could be discovered on the property.
“Quite frankly, some of these dogs are almost unrecognizable as they pull them out,” Budensiek told reporters during a Monday afternoon briefing.
“That’s how poorly they are groomed. These are beautiful dogs, naturally, and now with the matted hair and the poor condition they’re in, it’s pretty tough to see.
“The house is so deteriorated that about a foot and a half of drywall’s gone, the furniture is destroyed, and the animals are in a deplorable condition.”
When deputies entered the home Monday, Budensiek said they found “feces over every square inch in the house,” underscoring the scale of the alleged neglect.
Video released by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office showed disoriented Border Collies with badly matted coats, their bodies caked in grime, as deputies carried out the search warrant at O’Donnell’s property.
Budensiek said the suspect had been on his office’s radar for some time but had built “robust” fencing to keep anyone from getting to her property.
She first came to the attention of the authorities in 2020 following allegations she may have been mistreating animals, the lawman said.
Animal control officers determined at the time that she was in the clear.
Budensiek said that O’Donnell has no previous criminal record but is known to have an issue with alcohol and was treated for alcohol abuse against her will at some point between 2020 and 2022.
He said that she then began to play “the legal game” and “learned how to wall us off” so that checks on the animals were no longer possible.
Last week she agreed to surrender one of the dogs, which despite showing signs of having been washed, appeared somewhat malnourished and did not seem to have been “properly cared for,” the sheriff said.
O’Donnell is expected to appear in court Tuesday on charges of felony animal cruelty in addition to misdemeanor improper confinement counts for every dog that is found at the property, the sheriff said.
She may face additional charges if dead animals are found at her home.
“Trust me when I tell you, we’re going to stack every single charge we can stack on her and give her the max penalty we can,” Sheriff Budensiek said.
“She is a calculated animal abuser, she’s not just some crazy lady who just happened to keep more dogs than she should have.”
It comes after 92 cats and dogs were rescued last month by Martin County deputies at another alleged animal hoarder’s home.
Former postal work Gail Giustino, 77, was hit with misdemeanor animal cruelty charges after 80 cats and 12 dogs were found living in horrific conditions in her home in Stuart, Florida.
With Post wires
