A New Port Richey woman is facing a felony charge after deputies said they found starved animals, some partially eaten, inside a home that had been without electricity since August. Caitlyn Mingle, 24, was arrested on Oct. 16 and accused of knowingly neglecting eight dogs, two to four cats and a bird that deputies said had no food or water.
The Pasco County Sheriff's Office arrested Mingle and charged her with aggravated animal cruelty, according to Tampa Bay 28. Deputies said they found the bodies of a partially eaten dog and cat inside the home, along with a dog discovered inside a cage with half of its body pulled through the cage bars. The skull of another dog was also recovered at the scene, per the same report.
Mingle told deputies she knew that one of the cats and a bird had been eaten by one of the dogs in the home, the station's report states. The home itself was covered in fecal matter, urine and parts of animals that had been consumed, deputies said.
Power Had Been Cut Off Since August
According to the sheriff's office report cited by Tampa Bay 28, the home had been without power since August, and the animals inside had no food or water during that time. Separately, Mingle told investigators that four of the dogs had been kept inside two separate crates and had not been tended to for two days before law enforcement arrived, according to Tampa Free Press.
Pasco County Animal Services later said it took in seven dogs connected to the case and that all of them had been treated by veterinarians, WTSP reported.
Bond Set at $20,000, Conflicting Jail Reports
Mingle was issued a $20,000 bond after being transported following medical clearance, Tampa Free Press reported. Accounts differ on where she was booked afterward: Tampa Bay 28 reported she was booked into the Pasco County Jail on that $20,000 bond, while WFLA reported she was taken to the Land O' Lakes Jail following medical clearance.
Mingle is pleading not guilty and has requested a trial, according to WTSP's report. The case has been scheduled for review by the State Attorney's Office on Nov. 4.
What Florida Law Allows in Animal Cruelty Cases
Under the Florida Statutes, aggravated animal cruelty is classified as a third-degree felony. The law also allows prosecutors to pursue a separate charge for each individual animal subjected to cruelty or aggravated cruelty, and it permits a court to bar a convicted person from owning, possessing, keeping, harboring or controlling animals for a period the court determines.
