Deanna Rae Wesley, 43, a manager at Dr. Dan's Animal Hospital in Vero Beach, was arrested Sept. 15 on two counts of animal abandonment after investigators said she reclaimed two cats from the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County and then abandoned them outdoors without care. A judge set bond at $250 per count, for a total of $500, according to Indian River County court records.
Animal Control investigators said Wesley picked up two white-and-brown tabby cats from the Humane Society on Sept. 8. Wesley told staff the cats were being returned to a caregiver but would not identify that person, the affidavit said.
The next day, Animal Control received a complaint about a white-and-brown tabby cat crying at a resident's front door. The cat was taken to Animal Control, where its microchip and Humane Society staff confirmed it was one of the cats Wesley had picked up. Wesley initially denied it was the same cat but acknowledged the matching microchip number, according to investigators. She declined to explain how the cat ended up loose at the home, the affidavit said.
The resident told investigators that a woman matching Wesley's description, wearing a Dr. Dan's T-shirt, spoke with her mother and warned her to watch out for Animal Control in the area. The woman allegedly called the cats colony cats, the affidavit said.
Animal Control recovered the second cat at the same residence Sept. 10. Both cats were described as extremely friendly, with debris on their faces and chins. Investigators said the cats were not capable of surviving outdoors on their own and that no one was known to be caring for them. The warrant alleges Wesley abandoned the cats on a public street without providing care, food, protection or shelter.