SUNRISE, FLA. (WSVN) - Police have arrested a Sunrise woman after officers acting on a tip from an animal rescue group found her pit bull living in a cage covered in feces.
Sunrise Police responded to The Oasis at Springtree Apartments off Pine Island Road and Oakland Park Boulevard, Saturday night.
Officials said they were tipped off by 100+ Abandoned Dogs of Everglades Florida.
Amy Roman, the animal rescue group’s founder and president, said that what officers found inside 38-year-old Lisamarie Charles’ unit was disturbing.
“There was blood everywhere. There was feces, urine everywhere. [The dog] was bleeding, just suffering a painful existence,” she said. “He was on death’s door.”
Police said the 2-year-old dog was so skinny and shaken that his bones were visible. The canine also had blood on his nose and tail.
“They did what they needed to do to make sure that the abuser was arrested, taken away in handcuffs, and that the dog was taken out of its hell,” said Roman.
While officers took Charles into custody, Roman took the pup to a veterinarian’s office for treatment.
“We just rescued him with the assistance of police officers,” said Roman.
Area residents, some of whom own dogs and call themselves animal lovers, said they were appalled to find out this pit bull was being treated so poorly in their own backyard.
“Oh, my God, why didn’t anybody see this before?” said neighbor Diana Ortiz. “Obviously, she did not let the dog out, didn’t bring him out often. It’s just heartbreaking, because I’m just an animal lover.”
Police said Charles faces an animal cruelty charge and has also been evicted.
As for her now former pet, he is recovering and will be put up for adoption once he is nursed back to health.
“He’s going to have a slow recovery. He’s got a long road ahead of him, but we are confident that he will make a full recovery,” said Roman.
The pit bull has been renamed McCarthy after the Sunrise Police Officer who helped save him.
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