Hoarding, Neglect, Cruelty
48 dogs rescued from mobile home in Thonotosassa
March 22, 2012
THONOTOSASSA — Inside the blue mobile home, past the towering piles of personal belongings, sat 48 cages filled with dogs.
As a canine foster parent, Mary Grettenberger had helped rescue each one.
On Thursday, Hillsborough County Animal Services stepped in to rescue them again.
Living in filth, many of the dogs were caked in feces and crawling with fleas, said Marti Ryan, an Animal Services spokeswoman. The four dozen dogs, including terriers and Chihuahuas, appeared to have serious skin, eye and teeth problems, she said.
According to authorities, Grettenberger was housing the dogs as part of Heart to Heart Small Dog Rescue, a registered nonprofit group. The dogs came from rescue organizations and shelters as far away as Tennessee.
Grettenberger is listed as a treasurer of the organization.
"What her original intent was, we don't know," Ryan said. "But this casts a very bad shadow over rescue groups." No charges were filed Thursday.
Heart to Heart Small Dog Rescue is a national organization, based in Sebastian, "comprised of caring foster parents devoted to the dogs," according to the organization's website.
In a statement by its board of directors, the group said they became aware of a "potential problem" with the amount of dogs Grettenberger was housing earlier this month.
"At least 10 dogs were being moved this weekend but before that could happen, all the dogs were seized from the home, including her personal dogs," the statement said.
The group also noted that not all the dogs involved were Heart to Heart rescues.
Grettenberger declined to comment.
Tim Bower Rodriguez, who said he is her attorney, issued a statement saying in part that, "If guilty of anything, she is guilty of loving and caring too much for the dogs that she rescues before they are killed by the Hillsborough County Animal Services shelter."
In an e-mail, Nadine Chiodini, a member of Heart to Heart, said that the last time she received rescues from Grettenberger, the dogs were in good condition.
"No fleas or ticks, these dogs were healthy and well fed," she wrote. "They were vetted and had health certificates."
The investigation into the animal abuse began weeks ago after Hillsborough animal rescue received an anonymous complaint. They made visits to the home and built a case, Ryan said.
Authorities served a warrant early Thursday on the home at 11902 Fort King Highway.
The room where the animals were kept was dimly lit and noisy from all the barking, Ryan said. Very dirty pads used for potty training were on the floor.
After receiving medical treatment, the dogs will have their futures decided in court.
"These animals could easily be placed in homes," said Pam Perry, investigations manager for Animal Services. "A true rescuer with real compassion places those animals and doesn't keep them to themselves."
Dozens of dogs seized from home in Thonotosassa
Mar 22, 2012
Hillsborough County authorities seized 48 dogs today from a mobile home in Thonotosassa, where a woman said she was running a small-dog rescue operation.
Mary Grettenberger, 11902 Fort King Hwy., Thonotosassa, claimed she was running Heart to Heart Small Dog Rescue, according to Marti Ryan, spokeswoman for Hillsborough County Animal Services.
The dogs, mostly Chihuahuas and terriers, were kept in airline carriers stacked two high and are suffering from eye, skin and dental disorders. Ryan also said some were overfed, while others were underfed.
Ryan added that Grettenberger did not see the problem with the dogs' condition.
"The veterinarians have been very busy today," said Ryan.
The case was initiated by an anonymous caller who was concerned about the welfare of the animals and Grettenberger, Ryan said.
Grettenberger claimed to be a foster place for other groups, which are not under investigation, Ryan said.
Charges are being compiled against Grettenberger.
Investigators found the floor of Grettenberger's mobile home so soft they were concerned it would give way, Ryan said, adding that in these cases the floor is moist from pet urine.
Ryan said she was told that some of the animals had come from out of state to prevent them from being euthanized.
She said the shelter does not have legal custody of the animals but is requesting an emergency hearing to obtain it. She hoped to have the animals ready for adoption at the shelter's adoptathon, scheduled for April 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the shelter, 440 Falkenburg Road.
In another case, an investigator checked a complaint of noise and barking at 8723 Del Ray Court. The investigator found two dogs emaciated and dehydrated. The larger of the two had begun to chew a hole in the door. The investigators also found three rats in a cage, and another deceased animal in a separate cage.
Ryan said it looked as if the tenant had not been there for weeks.
Woman claimed she fostered dogs, officers say those dogs lived in their feces
03/23/2012
THONOTOSASSA - Animal control calls it the work of an abuser, but ask the man who lives 200 feet away from Mary Grettenberger's Thonotosassa home, and what she allegedly did inside comes as a total surprise.
"She always said 'Hi' or whatever," Victor Gregory said. "I would've thought if there was that many dogs, I would've heard something."
Gregory says he never heard a thing. "Except for an occasional barking dog," said neighbor, Robert Scanlon. "I am shocked, actually. You couldn't tell. There was no smell."
Hillsborough County Animal Services claims Grettenberger had 48 dogs inside her small home.
"All crammed into very small, airline type carriers, double-stacked across the residence," said spokeswoman Marti Ryan.
Investigators say they found the dogs living in their own feces, but Grettenberger doesn't believe she did anything wrong.
She claims she fostered the dogs, acting as a one-woman rescue agency, Animal Services pointing to her 501(c)3 called "Heart to Heart Small Dog Rescue".
"I'm very upset," she said. "The only ones they're hurting are the dogs."
Her lawyer, Tampa attorney Tim Rodriguez, posted a statement saying, "If guilty of anything, she is guilty of loving and caring too much for the dogs."
Hillsborough County Animal Services plans to file charges.
