STUART, Fla. — A woman who confessed to abandoning nine matted dogs in a parking lot with no food or water was arrested, the Martin County Sheriff's Office explains.
In a Facebook post, the agency says 62-year-old Deborah Perez drove five miles from her mobile home in Stuart to dump the nine confused dogs in a parking lot near a wooded area.
According to deputies, they were left in "sweltering heat" with no food or water.
"She said she couldn't handle them anymore," the sheriff's office wrote in the post.
The purebred Lahsa Apso dogs were all in the age range of 4 months old to 4 years old.
They all reportedly stayed somewhat close together after being left by Perez and eventually took shelter in a wooded area. Deputies say crews with animal services picked up the dogs one at a time after being spotted.
After the dogs were taken to a safe location, a detective was able to find Perez who was reportedly connected to the crime by tips from people in the community.
"Tipsters say, Perez, who initially claimed she knew nothing about the animals, went from owning multiple dogs in her Stuart mobile home, to just three," the agency explains in the post.
After several conversations with the 62-year-old, she eventually confessed to abandoning the dogs, deputies say.
Perez is now facing nine counts of animal abandonment and cruelty. Her bond is set at $45,000.
"The next step is to prepare the dogs for new loving homes," the sheriff's office wrote. "This effort is in the hands of the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, which has provided round-the-clock care for the animals since they were recovered.
"This is a time-consuming and costly venture and we are grateful for their dedication."
