Animal Cruelty - 158 counts
Shelter owner sentenced to 10 years in prison for animal abuse, theft
August 21, 2012
A Florida woman charged with 158 counts of animal cruelty was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison.
Palena Rae Dorsey, 60, was the owner-operator of the Sanctuary Animal Refuge in Port Saint Lucie. Sheriff's deputies had visited the shelter in 2011 after receiving a complaint about an argument taking place between Dorsey and a man who had previously owned the facility. While investigating the dispute, police noticed that the dogs and cats at the shelter were being kept in horrific conditions.
Many of the animals appeared to be malnourished and dehydrated. Dogs and cats were living in crowded cages full of feces and urine. Several of the animals had open sores with maggots inside of them.
Although Dorsey was initially arrested on animal abuse charges, investigators were able to determine that she had also used donations to fund her lavish lifestyle. One animal lover had entrusted $500,000 to the sancturary under the provision that the money would be used towards the animals' care. While half a million dollars would have certainly improved conditions at the shelter, Dorsey instead used the money to purchase a new home, trailer, cars, electronics and appliances.
Dorsey was sentenced to 10 years in prison for grand theft and five years for animal abuse; however, she will be serving the two terms concurrently. Upon her release from prison, Dorsey must serve 20 years probation and repay over $300,000 in restitution costs.
This marks the fourth theft-related conviction for Dorsey. Prior to operating an animal shelter, Dorsey had been arrested for stealing money from an elderly person who she was supposed to be caring for.
Woman who stole money, mistreated 158 dogs at animal refuge near Fort Pierce gets 10 years
Aug. 20, 2012
FORT PIERCE — A woman charged with mistreating 158 dogs at the Sanctuary Animal Refuge west of Fort Pierce was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison, primarily for stealing the money that was supposed to go toward the animals' care.
Palena Rae Dorsey, 60, was charged with 158 counts of animal cruelty in April 2011 after St. Lucie County sheriff's deputies discovered deplorable conditions at the shelter Dorsey ran at 9550 Carlton Road. Conditions included her malnourished dogs infected with heartworm and suffering from open and unhealed sores, mange, dehydration, diarrhea and fleas crowded into pens, lying in feces and urine.
During Monday's hearing, Deputy Rick Stuhr of the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office started showing Circuit Judge Gary Sweet a number of photos of dogs taken from the shelter and conditions there. After numerous photos, Sweet said, "That's enough."
Dorsey also was charged with first-degree grand theft after authorities determined she used money from a $500,000 trust for the animals' care from the estate of Laura Linscott, founder of Dogs and Cats Forever, to buy a home in Fort Pierce, cars, a motor home, electronics and appliances.
Sweet sentenced Dorsey to 10 years in prison for the grand theft and five years for the cruelty charges, which had been reduced to 16 counts, one for each of the dogs from the shelter that had to be euthanized.
Sweet allowed Dorsey to serve the two terms concurrently, but he also ordered her to serve 20 years of probation after her release from prison. During that time, Dorsey is to repay $305,54.71, the amount authorities were able to prove she stole.
Sweet also ordered that Dorsey can own no more than three animals.
Speaking barely above a murmur, Dorsey said she was sorry for what she had done, adding that she was "overwhelmed" by the number of animals in her care.
"I'm devastated," Dorsey said. "I love animals."
Several former co-workers who spoke on Dorsey's behalf agreed she let her love of animals consume her.
Scott Fuerst, an attorney who worked with Dorsey at a Fort Lauderdale firm and is a cofounder of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, said Dorsey was "compassionate to a fault" and didn't know how to "draw the line" when there were animals for which she couldn't care.
"She couldn't turn down that call in the middle of the night" about an animal that needed to be rescued, Fuerst said.
Fuerst said Dorsey "did the best she could, but circumstances overcame her. She made mistakes, but she deserves what she gave to the animals she rescued: a second chance."
Assistant State Attorney Lev Evans countered that Dorsey already has had second and third chances.
Dorsey was arrested in 1996 for stealing from an elderly person she was supposed to be caring for, Evans said, adding that Dorsey now has four theft-related convictions.
"This is a horrific case of animal abuse," Evans said, "and a horrific case of theft from a charity."
Animal lovers, veterinarians and volunteers with the humane societies along the Treasure Coast donated their time and medical supplies to nurse the surviving animals back to health.
Dorsey's facility was the former site of the Dogs & Cats Forever no-kill shelter, which moved to 4600 Selvitz Road in December 2010 after a dispute with Linscott.
Jay Apicella, executive director of Dogs & Cats Forever, called Dorsey's sentence "just."
"I saw the horror that was out there," Apicella said.
Palena Rae Dorsey, founder of former Port St. Lucie animal sanctuary, accused of misusing donations
8:30 AM, Feb 5, 2012
ST. LUCIE COUNTY — A woman's final bequest to aid animals may have been largely used by the founder of a Port St. Lucie animal sanctuary to buy a new home, cars and numerous other personal items, according to a St . Lucie County Sheriff's Office investigation.
Instead of benefiting from all the money left for their care, more than 100 animals at the Sanctuary Animal Refuge Inc., were removed from the facility last April after officials found them living in poor conditions.
Palena Rae Dorsey, 59, of Bushnell, was being held on $75,000 bond at the St . Lucie County Jail Saturday on a charge of first-degree grand theft in connection with the alleged misuse of the money. If convicted, she could face up to 25 years in prison.
The former Fort Pierce woman, who founded the animal refuge in 2004, was arrested in Sumter County on a St. Lucie County warrant following several months of investigation, said St. Lucie County Sheriff's Detective Rob Valentine.
Shortly before the removal of the animals last April, St. Lucie Sheriff's officials were informed by a woman described as an acquaintance of Dorsey that Dorsey allegedly was using money from donations and a $575,000 bequeath for personal gain and personal use, according to Valentine.
Gilbert Cox Jr., the executor of the estate of Laura Linscott, told authorities his aunt had left $575,000 to the refuge in the care of Dorsey. The bequest was made in the form of two checks, one for $75,000 and one for $500,000, that were deposited in the sanctuary's account shortly after they were received in September 2010.
According to St. Lucie County Detective Rob Valentine, Linscott's will had specified the money was to be invested in bonds and other secure investments and the interest was to be used to feed and otherwise benefit the animals.
"And she (Dorsey) just didn't do that," said Valentine.
Valentine's investigation found that from Sept. 10, 2010, to Nov. 22, 2010, the refuge's business account showed purchases of about $193,000 for a residence; $14,086 for a 2008 Mazda Tribute; $11,436 for a 2007 Saturn Vue; and more than $34,000 for other items. She also reportedly said she gave her husband $30,000 for money he had allegedly provided to the sanctuary over the years.
In all, authorities said, she is believed to have spent $262,000 on the homes, cars and other items.
In interviews with authorities on Sept. 12 and Sept. 19, Dorsey admitted to using part of the donation money to purchase the house, cars and other personal items, according to a warrant affidavit. She allegedly said she was "crazy" during that period and not thinking in her right mind. She said she had used some of the money for the refuge property and for the animals.
Neither Dorsey's husband or daughter, who received one of the cars, are believed to have been aware of Dorsey's alleged use of the money left for the refuge and Valentine said Palena Dorsey is the only one being charged. He said law enforcement officials continue to investigate the treatment of the animals at the former sanctuary.
Valentine said one of the refuge's board of directors told him Dorsey had told the director in October 2010 the refuge was receiving a big donation to help with developing the refuge property and compound. The director, however, said Dorsey said she was still waiting for the donation at the end of 2010 despite having received the checks in September. The director said he did not find out the donation had been made until April.
