A 34-year-old property manager was arrested Tuesday on five counts of animal cruelty following the discovery of severely neglected animals at a tree farm on Southwest Connors Highway. Jose Arreaga faces first-degree misdemeanor charges after an investigation that began when a community outreach manager reported an anonymous tip with photographs showing deceased dogs on the property.
On June 4, deputies responded to the property in the 16000 block of Southwest Connors Highway and found animals in alarming condition. Inside a makeshift enclosure with a tarp roof, investigators discovered a decomposed dog with food and water bowls filled with sand. The enclosure gate was tied shut with rope. Near the residence, deputies found Gorda, a reddish-brown, white, and black female cur mix severely infested with fleas and heavily lactating. A second dog, a cream-colored male Anatolian shepherd, was found collapsed beneath a tractor. The dog was so severely emaciated he initially appeared dead and could barely move his head. No food or water was available where he lay. Both dogs tested positive for heartworm disease.
Over the following day, deputies trapped three puppies sheltering beneath the house that Arreaga said were about 4 weeks old. All three female Anatolian shepherd and cur mix puppies had severe flea infestations, open sores, and lethargy requiring multiple baths at the Humane Society. A brown domestic shorthair cat that Arreaga surrendered was underweight and possibly pregnant. The cat gave birth the night she arrived, but all four kittens were stillborn. The Humane Society's lead veterinarian determined the Anatolian shepherd's condition reflected severe medical neglect, starvation, and malnutrition. The dog had anemia consistent with iron deficiency and blood loss, plus acute and chronic injuries including possible fracture and disc injury. The three puppies were diagnosed with severe ringworm, flea bite dermatitis, fungal infection, bacterial skin conditions, hookworms, and anemia from severe flea infestation.
Deputies consulted with a doctor at the ASPCA's Veterinary Forensic Sciences Unit regarding the deceased dog. Given the advanced decomposition, the doctor advised that establishing a definitive cause of death was unlikely. Based on this assessment, felony animal cruelty charges related to the deceased dog will not be pursued. The five misdemeanor charges are based on the deprivation of adequate food, water, and nutrition for Gorda, her three puppies, and the Anatolian shepherd. Arreaga was taken to Martin County Jail on a $12,500 bond with conditions prohibiting him from owning or maintaining any animals.