Wife Of Ex-Zoo Director Charged With Animal Cruelty

The wife of embattled zoo director Lex Salisbury was hit with animal cruelty charges today after two dogs were left inside Salisbury's closed SUV while he was speaking with the zoo board about his future.

Elena Louise Sheppa received four citations after an animal control officer approached her as she was returning to the SUV, which was parked near the site of the special board meeting.

"Our officer asked her directly, 'Would you leave your child in a car with the windows cracked,' " said Marti Ryan, spokeswoman for Hillsborough County Animal Services. "Her excuse was she was on her way to a doctor's appointment."

Sheppa and Salisbury, who live in Dade City, arrived in a 1992 Nissan Pathfinder about 10:40 a.m. at Mainsail Suites Hotel & Conference Center Tampa, near Hillsborough Avenue and the Veterans Expressway. The zoo board called the meeting to review a city audit that states Salisbury used zoo animals, employees and equipment for personal gain. Salisbury resigned about 3:30 p.m.

Sheppa, 48, declined to speak to reporters who approached her today.

The dogs, a Welsh terrier and a terrier mix, were hot and panting but not overheated inside the Pathfinder, Ryan said. They had no water or active ventilation. The temperature inside the car was measured at 90 degrees about 10 minutes after the doors were opened.

According to witness accounts, the dogs had been in the car about two hours. Sheppa opened the door once when she moved the car to an isolated area - apparently, Ryan said, after people outside the zoo board meeting noticed the dogs in the SUV.

Witnesses followed Sheppa as she moved the Pathfinder, Ryan said. They contacted animal control, and the officer arrived about 12:30 p.m.

"She noticed she was being noticed and moved to a more remote area," Ryan said.

"The dogs were not yet in complete distress, but I'm glad our officer arrived when she did," Ryan said.

Sheppa received two tickets for improper confinement of animals, a misdemeanor that carries a fine of $270, and two tickets for failure to have tags or vaccination records with the dogs.

"This was not a great move since it's against the law," Ryan said. "Even if she didn't think it was a problem with this being December, it is unseasonably warm right now in Florida. It was midday sun. It was overcast, and it was sunny."