PALATKA, Fla. — A 22-year-old woman was released from Putnam County jail Thursday on $2,500 bond after being arrested on animal cruelty charges.
Brianna Allender, a Putnam County 911 dispatcher, was terminated following her arrest, Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach stated in a social media post Thursday.
“This situation deeply saddens me,” DeLoach stated in the post. “As an avid dog lover I cannot fathom the idea of someone abandoning their dogs ... we have a working relationship with Animal Control and there are resources we could have provided if help had been requested. These animals should not have had to suffer,” the sheriff said.
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DeLoach did not state specifics about what Allender is accused of. The sheriff’s social media post states, “Palatka Police Department is the lead investigator in this case as the allegations occurred within their jurisdiction. ... They will release information related to the case as they deem necessary.”
A Palatka incident report states two deceased dogs were found in an apartment Allender was renting.
The discovery was made during an inspection by the property manager of the apartment complex, who reported the situation to the authorities, the report states
The dogs were found in a state of decomposition, locked inside a kennel in the utility room, with signs of severe malnourishment, the report states.
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Animal Control personnel concluded that the deaths of both dogs were the result of neglect, stating that the dogs had been starved and appeared severely malnourished, the report states.
Upon entering the apartment, a Palatka police officer observed conditions consistent with severe animal neglect, including a strong odor of decomposition and floors covered in animal feces. Numerous dead flies were observed on the windowsills throughout the apartment.
The property manager stated that the apartment had appeared abandoned for approximately one month and confirmed that Allender was the sole tenant and primary caregiver of the animals, the report states.
The apartment had been locked prior to their entry, and the dogs were located in the utility room. Inside the utility room, two deceased dogs were confined together inside a single kennel, with visible maggot activity on both bodies.
A food and water bowl were found in the kitchen next to the utility room, both of which were completely empty. Two additional bowls were located inside the kennel—also empty and apparently chewed. Animal Control advised that the dogs had been locked in a single kennel, and it appeared the animals had attempted to eat each other and the plastic bowls inside the kennel. They could only identify one of the breeds of the dog, which was confirmed to be a Black Mouth Cur mix, the report states.
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