More details have emerged in the case of the Port St. Lucie couple each charged May 19 with aggravated animal cruelty, accused of the “prolonged neglect in deplorable conditions” of eight dogs, according to a 37-page report from police about their investigation.
Investigators found the dogs suffering from severe dehydration, malnutrition, flea infestations, hookworms and prolonged exposure to unsanitary living conditions contaminated with urine and feces, according to the report. Several animals were found significantly underweight and in distress.
Following an anonymous animal welfare complaint, police began investigating April 20. They seized the dogs from Joseph Calafiore, 36, and Alexandria Fiorenza, 33, early on and for about a month the animals have been cared for at a veterinary hospital during the police investigation. The couple was arrested at their home May 19 in the 300 block of Northwest Biltmore Street.
Also, on May 20, Animal Control officers retrieved four snakes from their home, a blue racer and three ball pythons. They were taken to Florida Animal Exotics for fostering.
Investigators noted in the report when they first arrived at the house in April, they could hear from the garage door high-pitched yelping “consistent with dogs crying out in distress or pain.”
What investigators found
Seized were: Stanley, a male German Shepherd; Benji, a male black-and-white Husky; Tito, a male tan bully mix; Basil, a female Golden Retriever; Bindi, a female Husky/Shepherd mix; Sasha, a female German Shepherd mix; Princess, a female shepherd mix; and Panther, a male Carolina Dog / Greyhound-Husky mix.
Investigators wrote in their report that Stanley, Benji, and Tito were active and friendly, but “extremely thin, with their spines and hip bones visible from a distance.”
They noted all three dogs were very interested in going to the side of the house, where police found the dogs had dug a large hole next to the foundation of the house and were attempting to drink from the drainpipe that is attached to the air conditioning unit. There also was a very small plastic bowl that was dry and appeared to have sandat the bottom.
Four more dogs were found in the garage full of urine and feces where they had been deprived of food and water, according to the report.
“The dogs did not have access to water and were unable to remove themselves from their excrement due to having had multiple bowel movements over an unclear period of time,” according to the report.
Basil, Bindi, Sasha and Princess had been living in the garage since February, when Calafiore and Fiorenza moved from West Palm Beach, police said.
Police said Fiorenza acknowledged the mess and stated she had not been home much due to working in WestPalm Beach and arriving home late.
Through recorded interviews, the investigators found that the dogs in the garage were left without care and access to water for over 12 hours when Calafiore and Fiorenza were at work.
“Basil’s condition was among the worst observed during the investigation,” according to the report which described her having sunken eyes and grooves where fat would be on the face.
Panther was the last dog retrieved from the home after Animal Control Supervisor Kassidy Totten determined enough evidence of neglect “including severe dehydration, emaciation, flea infestation, lack of accessible water, and prolonged exposure to unsanitary living conditions,” according to the report.
‘Reflected ongoing neglect’
During initial questioning, Calafiore and Fiorenza provided “inconsistent and contradictory statements regarding ownership of the dogs,” the report said.
The couple did not register the dogs with the city of Port St. Lucie since they had become aware of a city ordinance limiting the number of dogs allowed at a home.
The St. Lucie County Animal Safety, Services & Protection Division indicates that no more than five dogs are allowed per home while Port St. Lucie ordinances limit the number of dogs to three.
The eight animals were taken to the Veterinary Medical Center of St. Lucie County in Port St. Lucie where they have been cared for, bathed, fed and given any necessary medications.
Veterinary Medical Center records and observations confirmed that “the conditions suffered by the animals were not isolated or minor in nature, but instead reflected ongoing neglect,” the report said.
Tito’s microchip was registered to a West Palm Beach resident that had reported “Max,” missing on April 2023. When Port St. Lucie officers contacted the registered owner, they were told that someone had stolen Max from a fenced backyard.
Fiorenza stated that Tito was “found as a stray eating from a trash can…around the end of 2020,” according to the report.
Benji and Princess had been with the couple for at least nine years, since they were puppies, while Sasha and Bindi had just been adopted 7 months ago.
“…The evidence demonstrates an ongoing failure to act, which directly resulted in repeated and unnecessary suffering to each animal,” according to the report.
Calafiore and Fiorenza remained in the St. Lucie County Jail on May 22 with a $200,000 bail each, according to the jail’s website.
As of May 19, the eight dogs were in the custody of the Animal Control Office and all had gained weight.
“They are active dogs and when brought outside they run and jump around,” according to the investigation report.
Adrian Jimenez-Morales is a reporter for TCPalm/ Treasure Coast Newspapers. You can reach him at adrian.jimenez@tcpalm.com
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: More details emerge in Florida animal cruelty case involving 8 dogs
Reporting by Adrian Jimenez Morales, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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