SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A Lehigh Acres woman was charged with animal cruelty after deputies say she brought a severely malnourished dog to the shelter saying it was a stray, when it was actually her dog.
“I actually saw the dog that day when it came in and it was emaciated, it was skeletal, you could see the ribs, it looked like it hadn’t eaten in months and it wasn’t in good shape,” said Lt. Daniel Tutko with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators say Alexandria Drew, 20, brought a 10-month-old Border Collie to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services facility on Sept. 13. When Drew attempted to turn the dog in as a stray, Animal Services personnel checked the dog’s registered microchip and found that Drew was the registered owner.
According to SCSO, when Drew adopted “Richter” in March 2016 from the Humane Society of Sarasota County, the growing puppy weighed 25 pounds. When Drew brought Richter to animal services six months later, the dog weighed 20 pounds.
“That dog was subjected to some conditions intentionally,” explained Lt. Tutko.
Veterinarians confirmed that Richter suffered from malnourishment due to neglect and lack of food. When questioned, Drew allegedly said she was too busy working to take care of the dog and couldn’t afford the $30 surrender fee at the Humane Society.
“She did not want to take responsibility for the dog being in the condition that it was,” said Lt. Tutko.
Drew was arrested Wednesday and charged with Cruelty to Animals and Confinement Without Sufficient Food. She was released on the same day on $1,000 bond.
When News Channel 8 reached Drew by phone, she was very apologetic. She said in the past month her busy work schedule prevented her from spending time with the dog. When the dog’s weight dropped she got worried.
“I feel terrible, I was scared so I lied. I don’t deny anything, I’m taking responsibility,” said Drew. “I’m not a bad person. This sucks that most people don’t get to hear my side. This makes me seem like a monster.”
Some dog owners were not so forgiving.
“Put her in the cage and don’t feed her and make her whine,” dog owner Dennis Honeywell said.
“I can’t believe somebody would starve a dog, there’s just too many people who would love it, why would you even have a dog if you’re gonna do that?” Pam Marrero-Fromm said.
Richter remains at the Humane Society of Sarasota County where he is expected to make a full recovery. After he’s fully healed, Richter will be available for adoption.
Officials add that if a dog owner experiences hardship, there are resources available to help find the dog a new home.
