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December animal cruelty case ends in arrest

By Wesley LeBlanc
Posted 9/19/18

MIDDLEBURG – A Middleburg woman faces animal abandonment charges following an investigation by Clay County Animal Services and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

Police charged Mandy Sue …

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December animal cruelty case ends in arrest


Posted

MIDDLEBURG – A Middleburg woman faces animal abandonment charges following an investigation by Clay County Animal Services and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

Police charged Mandy Sue Tedder, 34, with seven counts of animal abandonment after nine dogs were found at an abandoned property of Tedder’s. According to the warrant for Tedder’s arrest, on Dec. 9 of last year, a deputy was dispatched to 6059 Taylor Rd. in Clay Hill at the request of an animal control officer.

When the deputy and the animal control officer arrived at the property, they found the carcass of a dead dog in the front yard lying next to a dog shelter. On the front porch of the house they found a dog tethered to the house so tightly it was unable to get away from the porch or reach food and water. This dog’s ribs were exposed, and the animal appeared malnourished and emaciated.

Another two dogs were found tethered on the property, with one hidden under a pile of garbage. According to the warrant, both of these dogs also appeared malnourished and emaciated, with its bones protruding from their body. When the deputy and animal control officer entered the house, they found another five dogs locked inside. The house had no running water or electricity.

These seven dogs, Caleb, Brock, Bo, Midnight, Annabelle, Mojo and Izzy, were removed from the property after Tedder relinquished her right of ownership over them.

Nine months later, Tedder was arrested and charged with seven counts of animal abandonment. She is free on bond from the Clay County Jail. According to Clay Humane Senior Staff Veterinarian Christian Broadhurst, as long as the abuse is reported in a timely manner enough, the animals have a higher chance of rehabiliation.

“Fortunately, dogs are extremely resilient, almost to a fault,” Broadhurst said.

According to Broadhurst, the biggest hurdle when rehabilitating dogs, whether they are neglected, abandoned or abused, is not physical – it’s psychological.

“If we can get them out of the situation, chances are pretty high that the dog will be OK in the long run, at least physically, but psychologically, there’s a chance these dogs struggle resocializing with humans,” Broadhurst said. “We’ll get them healthy in just a few weeks to a few months, but teaching them that not all humans are like the ones they previously lived with is the challenge.”

According to Broadhurst, dogs are so resilient that even after traumatizing abuse, they’re able to isolate danger to their body in order to survive. For example, if a dog has an exposed bone, they’re likely going to acquire a bone infection. A dog is able to isolate the infection to keep it from spreading and keep itself alive until help comes. For a bone to be exposed though, the dog likely endured much worse conditions than neglect – they were probably abused. Broadhurst said neglect and abandonment are significantly more common than abuse, but throughout the year, he’ll see cases of both situations.

Part of Broadhurst’s job is identifying animal abuse or neglect. Sometimes, pet owners will bring in a dog for a checkup and he will notice key signs of abuse or neglect, such as differently-aged healing injuries or a desire to flee from the owner. When this happens, Broadhurst will call Clay Animal Services and request a wellness check in which an animal services officer stops by a pet owner’s home to child on the animal’s welfare.

Often, neglect, such as Tedder’s case, is the result of hoarding, he said. Broadhurst, who has a master’s degree in Veterinary Forensic Science, said hoarding occurs when pet owners have more pets than they are able to accommodate. Broadhurst recalled a woman with over 70 cats in her house.

“It’s a psychological thing when it comes to hoarders,” Broadhurst said. “Their intentions are in the right place but what ends up happening is these animals are neglected.”

If convicted, Tedder could be fined $5,000 per count and face imprisonment. Animal abandonment is a misdemeanor under Florida law.