NORTH PORT, FLA-- A woman was charged with Aggravated Cruelty to Animals and Abandonment after officials responded to a complaint that she was neglecting several animals that she had in her home.
Those animals included 55 cats, 23 mice, three ferrets and two dogs. A Sarasota Sheriff report described one cat in particular, Furby, as emaciated and in distress, its fur matted with urine and feces. They also say the cat was sleeping in its own excrement.
The pet owner, Shirley Ann Duncan, 55, told officers that Furby had some sort of illness, yet she had no proof that she'd taken the cat to the veterinarian. The condition of the other animals was not reported.
Duncan was arrested at her home on April 9th on Granada Drive and taken to the Sarasota County Jail. She was released on $2,000 bond on Tuesday morning.
The pets are in the custody of Animal Services as officials continue to investigate.
Sadly, after taking Furby for medical care, the cat was found to be beyond saving and was Euthanized.
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