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2 dogs found covered in ticks; owner charged

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By KEITH MORELLI

kmorelli@tampatrib.com

Published: October 22, 2009

TAMPA - The ticks were everywhere inside the East Tampa duplex when police went in Tuesday afternoon. The parasites were all over two dogs and could even be seen crawling up walls.

The clusters of bloated ticks in both dogs' ears resembled "the seed pod of a magnolia tree," one officer says in the report.

The dogs, one named Dog and the other D.J., were living in the duplex with no air conditioning or food, police said. Officers said the temperature was 85 degrees in Apartment A at 4703 N. 42nd St. Electricity at the duplex was shut off a month ago.

Catherine P. Washington, 51, was charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty and confining animals without food and water.

Hillsborough County Animal Services officers were at the home and issued a citation Oct. 11 ordering Washington to get immediate veterinary treatment for Dog and D.J., both black and both a mix of Shar-Pei and Labrador.

Animal Services spokeswoman Marti Ryan said veterinarians and assistants spent hours picking ticks off the dogs Tuesday night.

They are being treated, and Animal Services will try to get Washington and a roommate, who had not been arrested, to relinquish ownership of the dogs so the animal can be nursed back to health and put up for adoption. Ryan said the plan is to get the animals ready for a pet adoption event at the Florida State Fairgrounds on Nov. 14.

Washington told officers she knew she was responsible for the dogs' care and tried treating the open sores by pouring vegetable oil on them. Both dogs had fur missing, scabs and sores and were covered with oil, police said.

Washington told officers she couldn't afford to feed herself, "much less the dogs."

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760.

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