Animal Cruelty
Owner of Hernando County rescue Our Animal House can keep animals
October 23, 2009
BROOKSVILLE — Owners of a troubled animal rescue are being allowed to retain guardianship of the 200 animals on their property, as long as they cooperate with Hernando County Animal Services inspectors.
Carol Mas, co-owner of the non-profit Our Animal Haus sanctuary, appeared before county Judge Kurt Hitzemann on Friday to answer accusations by officials that she and her husband, Estebahn Agustinho, failed to provide proper food and living conditions for the animals in their care.
Animal Services supervisor Patrick Pace said a monthlong investigation at the 12-acre property on Lanark Road had uncovered incidences of chronic malnutrition in some animals, untreated wounds on a horse and donkey, and numerous cleanliness issues where animals were housed.
On Oct. 16, a severely malnourished chestnut mare named Ginger was ordered removed from the property by Animal Services. The horse, estimated to be 18 to 20 years old, was later euthanized after a veterinarian who determined it was too weak to save. Another horse and seven cats were removed from the property Wednesday.
In a rambling response, Mas spent nearly 20 minutes in court countering most of the agency's claims. She said the euthanized horse had arrived at her property underweight two years earlier, but she and her husband, who did not appear at the hearing, never thought the animal was suffering.
"For a very old horse, it was active," Mas said. "She liked to graze, and that's what we let her do."
Assistant County Attorney Erica Moore had asked the judge to find Mas unfit to care for the animals, but Hitzemann delayed any such action until Mas could appear before him next week with her attorney.
Although she admitted that her $476,000 home had been foreclosed on, Mas denied she was in financial distress, saying an unidentified "financial backer" had agreed to pay for improvements to the property.
Mas and her husband moved to the property in 2006 to establish Our Animal Haus. The couple's menagerie grew to include 40 dogs, 98 cats, 48 birds, five horses and a donkey, plus an assortment of domestic and exotic pets, including rabbits, ferrets and a prairie dog.
Pace said a Sept. 16 visit revealed growing problems as the couple became more and more overwhelmed by the work and expense involved in caring for so many animals. Photos entered into evidence showed piles of animal feces in several areas of the home's living quarters.
Another set of photos showed several of the 27 dead animals that officers discovered inside a freezer. Mas explained that she kept the animals there because she was unsure of laws regarding animal burials on her property.
Under Hitzemann's order, Mas must give unfettered access to animal control officers and may not take in any new animals. Animals that have been seized will remain in custody of Animal Services and may be euthanized if so recommended by a veterinarian.
Mas is due to appear again before Hitzemann on Thursday.
Former '70s rock singer in trouble with Hernando animal welfare officials
10/26/09
Carol Mas was once touted as "the female Bruce Springsteen." But save for a minor hit single, Stillsane, in 1979, Mas, who performed as Carolyne Mas, never established a strong following. And she pretty much gave up on her music career years ago. She preferred to be known as a "woman with good heart," she said. …
Humane Society officials see signs of animal hoarding in Hernando case
October 28, 2009
BROOKSVILLE — To Hernando County Animal Services officers, the home on Lanark Road seemed like a zoo run amok.
The owners of the nonprofit Our Animal Haus animal sanctuary had become overwhelmed with caring for more than 200 animals in their charge, officials would later say.
During eight visits to the 12-acre property of Carol Mas and her husband, Estebahn Agustinho, officers documented numerous examples of animal neglect.
Hernando judge orders removal of 200-plus animals from Our Animal Haus
October 29, 2009
BROOKSVILLE — The owners of a troubled animal sanctuary are unfit to possess the more than 200 animals in their care, Hernando County Judge Kurt Hitzemann ruled Thursday.
Carol Mas, one of the owners of the nonprofit Our Animal Haus, was visibly shaken as Hitzemann delivered his ruling in a case that began with complaints that Mas and her husband, Estebahn Agustinho, had failed to provide proper food and living conditions, which led to the deterioration of some of the animals' health.
Hitzemann said that although he saw no malice in the couple's actions, he believed the neglect was due to having too many animals. They face no criminal charges.
"I think you're in over your head here," Hitzemann said.
Hitzemann's ruling followed testimony by Hernando County Animal Services supervisor Patrick Pace, who said nine visits to the 12-acre ranch on Lanark Road, east of Brooksville, revealed numerous instances of animal neglect, including severely malnourished animals, filthy bird and cat cages, and untreated, diseased and injured animals.
Two weeks ago, officers removed a severely malnourished chestnut mare named Ginger from the property. She was later ordered euthanized after a veterinarian determined she was too weak to save.
"Things never really improved much," Pace said. "We would tell them what needed to be done, but they wouldn't cooperate."
Pace said that the neglect, coupled with Mas and her husband's penchant for keeping the carcasses of deceased animals inside a freezer, was consistent with the behavior known as animal hoarding syndrome, a pathological disorder that involves a compulsive need to collect and control animals with little regard to their health and welfare.
Mas, who appeared at the hearing without her husband, denied the claim, saying that her financial woes and the impending foreclosure of her home caused the downfall of what she considered to be a "good rescue."
She pleaded with Hitzemann not to shut down the operation, saying that with a little help, she could right the situation.
"The worst I can be accused of is keeping (homeless animals) off the street," Mas said.
A former pop singer in the late 1970s, Mas earned some short-lived notoriety as Carolyne Mas with a song called Stillsane. She and Agustinho began collecting unwanted pets in the late 1990s and moved to Florida in 2003.
Three years later, Mas bought her present home, where she divided her time between caring for her ailing aunt and an ever-growing menagerie that included nearly 100 cats, 40 dogs, 50 birds, five horses and a donkey, plus an assortment of domestic and exotic pets.
In September, the Web site Huffington Post brought Mas some national attention with an article that focused mainly on Mas' musical past, but also detailed some of the financial challenges her shelter was facing.
Hitzemann did allow a small loophole for Mas in his ruling Thursday. She could negotiate to keep a small number of pets, but is forbidden to own any more than that in Hernando County for a period of three years.
Animal Services director Liana Teague said her agency will begin moving animals off Mas' property today. The animals' fate will depend on their overall health and whether they are fit to be adopted.
The livestock, which includes an adult horse, three ponies, a donkey and a cow, will be sold at auction to help defray some of the $5,700 in expenses the county has incurred so far investigating the case.
200 animals removed from Our Animal Haus nonprofit shelter in Brooksville
October 30, 2009
BROOKSVILLE — A day after their owners were deemed unfit to care for them, more than 200 animals were removed from the nonprofit Our Animal Haus shelter Friday by Hernando County Animal Services officers.
Animal control officers and volunteers from the Hernando Emergency Animal Response Team arrived at the 12-acre ranch on Lanark Road around 8:30 a.m. with trucks and trailers to cart off nearly 100 cats, 40 dogs, 50 birds, four horses and a donkey, plus an assortment of domestic and exotic pets belonging to Carol Mas and her husband, Estebahn Agustinho.
Animal Services supervisor Patrick Pace said many of the animals appeared weak from lack of food, shelter and proper veterinary care. Particularly affected, he said, were the nearly 100 cats found on the property.
Pace said he bent down to pick up a gray long-haired cat that, judging by its size, should have weighed 12 to 14 pounds. It probably weighed half that.
"Nothing but skin and bones," Pace said. "It's very sad."
At a fitness hearing Thursday, County Judge Kurt Hitzemann listened as Pace and Animal Services director Liana Teague told of their monthlong investigation of the sanctuary.
Over nine separate visits, officers noted instances of severe animal neglect, including malnourished animals, filthy cages, and diseased and injured animals that were not being treated by a veterinarian.
According to Teague, all of the animals recovered will be examined and evaluated for possible adoption. Those not deemed adoptable will be euthanized.
"It's a difficult situation because so many of the cats had communicable diseases and weren't quarantined,"
Teague said. "It's going to take a while to sort everything out."
Teague said her agency will work with the Humane Society of the Nature Coast to help find homes for as many animals as possible. Animal Services will hold a special public "viewing day" sometime next week for animals up for adoption.
In addition, any remaining livestock will be auctioned off in an effort to recoup some of the $5,700 in expenses the county has incurred so far in its investigation.
Under Hitzemann's ruling, Mas and Agustinho are forbidden to acquire any more animals for three years.
However, the couple were allowed to keep five personal pets of their choosing.
No criminal charges have been filed.
Former Hernando animal shelter owners plead not guilty to cruelty charges
January 13, 2010
BROOKSVILLE — The owners of a defunct nonprofit animal rescue shelter pleaded not guilty Wednesday to two counts each of animal cruelty.
Carol Mas and her husband, Estebahn Agustinho, appeared before Hernando County Judge Don Scaglione, who agreed to their request to consolidate the misdemeanor charges into one trial, according to Assistant State Attorney Richard Lehman.
The couple were charged based on evidence and photos submitted by Hernando County Animal Services after a monthlong investigation into Our Animal Haus, a shelter Mas and Agustinho operated on their 12-acre ranch outside Brooksville.
In mid October, animal control officers visited the property on Lanark Road and discovered an elderly chestnut mare named Ginger weakened by malnutrition.
County Judge Kurt Hitzemann in late October ordered the removal of more than 200 animals after officers uncovered incidences of chronic malnutrition in nearly the entire animal population. In addition, many animals were found with untreated wounds and life-threatening diseases, and there were numerous cleanliness issues in areas where animals were housed.
Mas has repeatedly railed against Hernando County Animal Services on her Facebook page and other Web sites, saying her actions were unfairly misinterpreted by authorities.
If convicted, Mas and Agustinho could each face up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine. The couple's next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 4.
