Animal Cruelty (felony)
Date 05-07-2003
County Polk
Suspect Paula Smith
Address HIDEAWAY KENNELS, Lake Wales, FL
Animals seized 48
Animal type poodle dogs
Breeder? Yes
Polk County deputies on Thursday seized 10 dogs at a Lake Wales kennel where four people were charged a week ago with 38 felony counts of cruelty to animals.
Circuit Judge John Laurent on Thursday granted a temporary injunction sought by the sheriff's office. It prevents the kennel owner, Paula Smith, 62, from keeping dogs, except for two family pets, while the criminal case is pending.
The charges involve 38 poodles that Hideaway Kennels turned over to Florida Poodle Rescue, based in St Petersburg, on May 7, sheriff's officials said. Some of the animals could not eat or drink, and nine of the dogs had to be euthanized. Two other poodles were picked up at the kennel by the rescue group May 14, and one of those was euthanized Wednesday, said Corinn Smith, a volunteer with the group.
The dogs seized on Thursday — five standard poodles, two miniature poodles and three mixed-breed dogs — were healthy and were taken to a veterinarian for shots, authorities said.
Sheriff's Col. Grady Judd said Smith had been operating the kennel for 30 years, grooming, boarding and breeding the animals. "These dogs were in disastrous condition," he said of the original 38 poodles.
"What she [Smith] did was she eliminated her overhead by breeding animals until they became very old or sick, and then she called Florida Poodle Rescue or some other rescue agency to come pick them up," Judd said.
He said the investigation indicates that practice had been going on for several years.
Steve Iulo of the Lockwood Ridge Animal Hospital in Sarasota told investigators that all 38 dogs exhibited signs of gross neglect and it was the worst case of neglect he has seen in 15 years of veterinary practice. The dogs suffered from severe periodontal disease, tumors and abscesses, and three of the dogs were missing their lower jaws and had extreme ear infections, Iulo told investigators.
According to an arrest affidavit, Smith told Detective Shawn Stephenson that some of the animals were missing their lower jaws, but that was a genetic problem with poodles. Smith said some of the dogs had open mammillary tumors, but that was common in older breeding animals, the affidavit said.
Iulo told investigators that the problems found with the dogs were preventable by grooming, teeth cleaning and basic medical care and that the problems are not genetic.
Another dog rescue agency told investigators that it obtained 22 dogs from Hideaway Kennels last year and that they had been severely neglected and needed immediate medical attention.
Tricia Bonati, president of Florida Poodle Rescue, said the 30 living poodles turned over to the agency by the kennel are being placed in foster homes and will be adopted. The 10 dogs seized Thursday under the court order will temporarily be cared for by the rescue group until disposition of Smith's case, at which time they will be returned to Polk County's custody, she said.
Judd said that if Smith is acquitted, she can petition to get the 10 dogs back.
Others charged were groomers Brenda Fraley, 52, and Betty Lowe, 43, and kennel maintenance man Terry Fraley, 61. All were released from the Polk County Jail on $9,500 bail.
Bartow attorney Richard Mars, who represents Smith, declined to comment on the case Thursday and said his client would not comment on the charges. The other defendants could not be reached for comment.
