MIDDLEBURG, Fla. – News4JAX has learned that long before an initial investigation into a Middleburg home on Ashton Street where multiple dogs were removed, Jacksonville authorities have uncovered links to another residence connected to allegations of animal cruelty.
The second home in Jacksonville is located on Frost Street. According to multiple neighbors, the Jacksonville home was just as trashed by animal waste and carnage as the home in Middleburg.
Neighbor Steve Terrell told News4JAX that the elderly owner of the home wanted him to be a witness to everything that a cleanup crew had to pull from the house.
“I saw dead animals. They trashed that house. It was knee-deep in dog feces,” said Terrell before describing the dead animals he saw being hauled away from the home. “I saw the hide from one. It was laid out on the road. The other guy who was cleaning up, I don’t know how he was able to do it because I was wanting to throw up.”
Upon further review of the home, News4JAX could see what appeared to be paw prints and feces smeared on the windows. Although a work crew threw away what was inside, there were still signs of dog feces on the floor and walls. There were also signs that dogs were kept outside.
Multiple neighbors told News4JAX that the couple that was renting the home on Frost Street did not appear to really live inside the house.
“They would come late at night. Stay for a few minutes and they will be gone,” said Terrell.
That observation was consistent with what News4JAX was told by a neighbor who lives close to the Middleburg home that was being rented by the same couple. She asked not to be identified because of her job in law enforcement.
“We didn’t see a vehicle there. We saw a U-Haul truck one day there and then it was gone the next,” said the anonymous neighbor.
Neighbor’s descriptions of the smell of animal death and waste from both homes were also consistent.
“If you’ve ever been around that smell before, you never forget. Just the deceased,” said the anonymous neighbor.
“It smelled too bad. You can smell it out here right now. Thinks of what it smells like inside,” said Terrell.
The investigation started when the renters brought multiple dead dogs to an animal facility in Jacksonville to be cremated. The staff at the facility noticed the deceased dogs were in bad shape and contacted authorities on suspicion of animal cruelty. This triggered two animal cruelty investigations – one by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the other by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Terrell said he spoke with a JSO investigator who showed up at the home on Frost Street while crews were trying to clean the place.
“She said this home was connected to the Clay County home and she was getting in contact with Clay County authorities to bring more charges against the couple in Clay County,” Terrell said.
A Clay County Government spokesperson updated News4JAX on the status of the dogs that were removed from the home in Middleburg through the following written statement:
All of the more than 30 animals have gone through their initial medical exam. Some of the animals are malnourished and are getting the treatment they need. The investigation into this case is ongoing and officials are looking into every piece of information that is reported. We thank our community for their donations and support.
Clay County Government spokesperson
Two separate animal cruelty investigations are still ongoing and charges against the couple are pending. Those charges are likely felony animal cruelty charges.
As for the couple under investigation, News4JAX will not name them until they have been formally charged with a crime.