ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A Homosassa man was arrested after deputies found two dogs at his home that were thin and living in "pitiful conditions."
Andrew Teachman, 39, faces two counts of aggravated animal cruelty, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies responded to a home following a report of suspected animal cruelty and neglect on Thursday, July 6. Once in the neighborhood, deputies were told that Teachman left the house more than a day ago and had not returned. They gave the front door a knock but got no response, therefore they began a perimeter search.
While looking around, they spotted a slightly open window where they could smell a strong odor of feces and urine coming from the room, the sheriff's office said.
Additionally, they looked deeper and saw two dogs in "appalling condition" that were covered in feces. One dog was loose in the room and the other dog, with his spine protruding, was locked inside a wire crate. Deputies also noted seeing a metal bowl that was empty and dry.
Citrus County deputies were able to contact Teachman over the phone who said he was out of town but would send someone over to the house. After waiting, deputies realized no one was coming and were unable to reach Teachman again.
That's when deputies entered the home through the open window to provide care to the dogs. Once inside, they noticed the dog in the crate was "extremely emaciated, and his entire body was covered in dry and wet feces," the sheriff's office said.
The dogs were removed and immediately given water, which they gulped up right away, the sheriff's office said.
"The dogs began drinking the water very quickly, since the room they were housed in was extremely hot, due to the window air-conditioning unit being off," the Citrus County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. "According to weather reports on Thursday, the heat index was 109 degrees."
The dogs were taken to the Citrus County Animal Shelter. Teachman was finally located and he was placed under arrest for animal cruelty. His bond was set at $4,000, arrest records show.
"CCSO Deputies and our Animal Control Unit work tirelessly to help and defend innocent animals who are mistreated by irresponsible owners. Having those dogs kept in a room with no ventilation and no air conditioning on such a hot day was clearly animal abuse," Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast said in a statement. "I am extremely thankful for the concerned citizen who reached out to find help for these two dogs and hold Teachman accountable for his gross negligence."
