Two will likely face animal abuse charges in separate Surprise cases
Mar 1, 2018, 9:32 AM
(Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photos)
(Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Photos)
PHOENIX — Two people will likely face animal abuse charges after deputies were called to two homes this week, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said.
In one case, deputies were called to a house near 151st Avenue and Dynamite Boulevard on Feb. 27 after Juli Soave allegedly left her animals behind when she was evicted.
Detectives standing outside the home said they could smell the animal waste inside.
More than 20 cats and two dogs were found inside, along with animal urine and huge piles of feces. Investigators had to wear protective gear and masks.
The animals were taken to an animal hospital.
Soave, who hasn’t been arrested yet, will face charges of abandonment, inadequate shelter and failure to get medical care.
In the other case, sheriff’s deputies received a call from the Surprise Fire Department about a possibly malnourished dog at a home near Waddell and Citrus roads on Feb. 25.
When they arrived, they spotted a dog with what appeared to be an injured leg lying on a walkway. The dog’s owner, 79-year-old Lonnie Townsend, told deputies he couldn’t afford veterinary care and was waiting for it to die.
The dog was taken to an animal hospital in critical condition.
Townsend could be charged with animal cruelty pending the results of the veterinary medical report.
