POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Deputies in Polk County have arrested a 50-year-old man who they said abused and neglected "several dogs" and had an unpermitted landfill on a property he rented.
The owner of the property, located on Sylvan Ramble Road in Davenport, contacted the Polk County Sheriff's Office after she reportedly noticed many dogs in cages who "did not appear to be healthy." The agency said the suspect, Lanoris Parker, did not live on the rented property.
After arriving at the scene, deputies said they found two dead dogs inside crates. Nine other dogs were also found on the property, three of which were unable to stand or walk and were in extreme medical distress.
Investigators also noted that there was no food in the kennels and most did not have water.
All nine dogs were immediately taken to Polk County Animal Control for treatment where officials said they "performed 1/9 on the Purina Body Condition Score, indicating ribs, lumbar vertebrae, pelvic bones, and no discernable body fat with obvious muscle loss."
The three dogs that were unable to stand or walk died from their injuries, according to the sheriff's office.
Detectives also reportedly found "over 400 pounds and 500 cubic feet of solid wastes, dilapidated structures, metal waste, and multiple containers holding congealed water allowing the breeding of mosquitoes and larvae" on the rental property. There was a burn pile in the center of the yard, although officials said no active burn permit was issued for the property.
Once deputies arrived at Parker's official home in Poinciana to arrest him, they reportedly found seven more dogs there. Authorities said six of those dogs were "criminally neglected" and were confined to crates inside a garage with no air movement, water or food.
"The horrific abuse and neglect that these animals suffered is too awful for words and the photos don't even adequately describe how much pain these dogs were in, not to mention the conditions, sights, and smells that our detectives were exposed to," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. "Lanoris Parker is being held accountable for these crimes, and we will do everything in our power to ensure he never owns animals again."
Parker is now being held in the Polk County Jail. He faces several charges, including 15 felony counts of animal cruelty, operating an unpermitted landfill and burning without a permit.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
