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Tonya Lynn Grose was charged with animal cruelty for keeping an assortment of dogs, cats, and birds in deadly conditions, authorities said. (Mug shot: Seminole County Jail)
A woman faces animal cruelty charges for failing to care for an assortment of “emaciated dogs in cages without food or water,” cats, and birds at her home in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Feces and cockroaches were scattered throughout the home, even in the bird cages, authorities said. Cops claim in the backyard, they found a dog’s skeleton and 15 large trash bags with animal remains.
Tonya Lynn Grose, 36, allegedly admitted she lacked the money or food to properly take care of the animals.
“Grose said she usually buries the animals that die in the backyard, but she could not bury them by herself, so she put them in garbage bags in the shed,” officers wrote.
Cops said they linked up Wednesday morning with Seminole County Animal Services to meet with Grose at her home. SCAS claimed that she had kept canceling every appointment they had with her.
They checked on the address.
But “the distinct and extremely pungent odor of urine and feces was smelled from the roadway,” officers said.
Grose, who met cops outside, said she had six dogs, three cats, and two birds inside.
But when she let officers and animal services inside, they found feces on the ground. The “pungent odor of feces grew stronger,” they said.
“To the right of the living room were several cages with a dog in each cage,” officers said. “The dogs did not have water or food in the dog bowls.”
Cockroaches were all over the floor, and spiderwebs hung in light fixtures, cops claim.
Grose did not want authorities in the back room, where she had the birds, saying it was disorganized and cluttered with her ex-husband’s things, cops said.
Though she brought out the bird cages, authorities saw that the cages had roaches and bird feces in them, documents stated. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which had arrived on account of the birds, cited her.
Then authorities heard dogs barking in the backyard, according to documents.
She allegedly agreed to let them check the back.
“Grose said she did not want to let us back there at first because she was afraid she would get in more trouble for the dogs kept in the backyard, and she knew she was only allowed a certain amount of dogs in her care,” authorities said.
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She claimed she had put the dogs outside when she saw authorities arrive.
“While walking the backyard with Grose and SCAS, officers observed several dogs in cages,” they wrote. “The dogs looked malnourished and were panting.”
Grose allegedly opened a door to a shed where several dogs were in cages. It was hot, officers said. No ventilation.
Authorities checked another shed to find bones to the right of the structure, documents said. Grose allegedly said this was a German Shepard she got from a shelter in bad health. The dog passed away a week later.
“Grose said she could not lift the dog to dispose of it properly,” cops said. “When Grose opened the door to the shed, the strong odor of dead animals was emitting from the shed.”
Authorities read her a Miranda warning, she agreed, and she signed the Miranda card, they said.
Asked about black garbage bags in the shed, Grose allegedly told cops it was clothes from a church she volunteered for. But then authorities checked them out.
“The smell of animal death was getting stronger as crime scene took out each bag,” they said.
They asked her again about the contents. She said six dead dogs, “some kittens,” and cats.
Two dogs have since died in the officers’ presence, according to officers in the document dated Wednesday.
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Court is set for Nov. 7. Grose remains in the Seminole County Jail on a $10,000 bond.
From cops:
Our partners at Seminole County Animal Services would like to remind the community that with the large number of animals being surrendered, they are now over capacity and asking for help from the public to come in and adopt one of the animals already in the Shelter’s care.
Please call Seminole County Animal Services at 407-665-5201 if you would like to adopt a pet.
www.Seminolecountypets.com
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