Merritt Island couple faces felony animal cruelty charges for alleged puppy mill
A Merritt Island couple faces felony animal cruelty charges in connection with an alleged puppy mill operation involving as an estimated 100 dogs that officers say lacked proper food, water, shelter and veterinary care.
Officers arrested Elisabeth Cleveland, 36, on July 10 and then on Monday arrested her husband, Richard Cleveland, 44.
He's being held on $261,500 bond and faces 135 counts including animal cruelty and unlawful animal confinement of animals. She faces 134 counts including animal cruelty and unlawful confinement and was released on a bond of $259,000.
The sheriff's office had received more than 20 complaints about the suspected puppy mill dating back as far as 2016 but said they were unable to access the properties in question.
According to the arrest affidavits:
Since Jan. 9, 2016, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office had received 20 complaints about the Clevelands, of which 13 alleged animal neglect or abuse; of those, 10 involved 1191 Mustang Lane, Cocoa. Six of the complaints were last year.
"Officers have previously and consistently documented their attempts to complete welfare checks for the animals, believed to be canines, but the property is usually secured," the affidavit says. The Clevelands would not allow entrance onto the property without a search warrant.
On Thursday, June 27, an anonymous complainant reported that Elisabeth Cleveland and her associated 1191 Mustang Lane property "is out of control." During a wellness check, an officer heard high-pitched sounds such as "crying and moaning" from dogs but did not see any food or water accessible to the dogs.
On Friday, June 28, officers located the Clevelands at their Merritt Island home. On an adjacent property they heard sounds of dogs barking and crying. Elisabeth Cleveland said she responds to the 1191 Mustang Lane property twice a day with her children to provide food and water and check on the dogs and water not visible because kept under shade and overgrown vegetation, which she believed provided the dogs ample shade from the sun. She asserted her dogs have food, water and shelter but would not answer questions about her breeding operation or allow inspection of the property. The couple had six times denied officers access to both properties to check on the dogs.
After getting an inspection warrant, officers on Monday July 1 met with the Clevelands and inspected the Mustang Lane property. They found dogs, "most of which appeared not to have proper shelter, wholesome water, or any among of wholesome, edible food." Some of the dogs appeared underweight, with untreated wounds or in otherwise poor condition.
According to Brevard County Clerk of Courts records, last year Elisabeth Cleveland was cited for three counts of allowing an "animal at large" and fined $55 per count.
Contact Waymer at (321) 261-5903 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: A Merritt Island couple faces animal cruelty charges for alleged puppy mill
