In a tragic turn of events, a man from Brevard County, Florida, has been charged with animal cruelty following the discovery of three deceased dogs in his trailer. This unfortunate incident comes on the heels of his girlfriend’s brutal death, who was fatally attacked by pit bulls belonging to a neighbor.
Donnell Smith, who witnessed his partner of many years, 50-year-old Jodi Cowan, being savagely mauled last month, now faces serious charges after authorities found his own dogs dead. According to WKMG-TV, Smith had left the animals confined in his trailer for several days, depriving them of food, water, and adequate ventilation.
Brevard Sheriff Wayne Ivey expressed his sorrow over the situation in a video statement released on Monday. “Folks, it doesn’t get any sadder than this,” he lamented. “Consider all the lives lost and affected by these events—it all boils down to a failure to care for the pets entrusted to us.”
Authorities were alerted to the grim scene on June 11 after receiving a report about a pervasive foul odor emanating from the trailer. Upon investigation, police spoke with Smith, who confessed that the dogs, once shared with Cowan, had been left without sustenance since June 2 or 3.
The dead dogs were discovered after police received a report on June 11 of a foul stench coming from the trailer. Police spoke with Smith, who eventually admitted that the dogs he had shared with Cowan had been in there without any food or water since June 2 or 3.
The Sheriff’s Office shared disturbing images of the decomposing pets.
Smith was taken into custody and is facing animal cruelty and other related charges. He is being held on a $15,000 bond.
Cowan was attacked by her neighbors’ bloodthirsty pit bulls on May 19 while she was out walking her smaller dog, surveillance footage shows.
Smith returned to their home that afternoon and heard screaming in the distance and saw their neighbors’ two dogs dragging Cowan down the road.
When he got to her, he found Cowan in a pool of blood covered in dog bites, Smith told local news outlets at the time. He said the pair of pit bulls came back and tried to take her away again.
“I pulled my knife out, you know, just swinging it with one hand and holding the blood with the other, trying to stop her from bleeding,” a distraught Smith said.
“It was brutal. Seeing the same woman I’ve loved for the last 25-30 years just ripped apart by two animals was just … I’ll never get that image out of my mind.”
He called 911 and Cowan was rushed to a hospital where she died from her injuries.
The pit bulls’ owner, Linda Cutler, 29, was arrested and charged with manslaughter. Her two pit bulls will be euthanized,
She faked having a heart attack when police hauled her away, according to the sheriff.