Winter Haven woman faces 24 counts of animal cruelty

A woman who leased animals out as guard dogs was charged with 24 counts of animal cruelty Tuesday, Polk County deputies say.

The two dozen dogs, including German shepherds and American bulldogs, were malnourished, improperly confined and poorly groomed, the sheriff's office said. A veterinarian examining the dogs says all have fleas and other parasites.

Animal Control officers have responded to previous complaints about the dogs' owner, Kathy Browning, 38, of Winter Haven, the sheriff's office said. Browning rents the animals to businesses such as tow yards to use as guard dogs.

Browning said she has struggled financially to support the animals, including three puppies, deputies said. She released custody of the dogs to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office said in a release that any of the dogs that have been trained as guard dogs are aggressive in nature and not well-suited to a family environment, so they will likely be given to rescue organizations. Others that are deemed adoption-worthy will be made available at a later date.

According to an affidavit, during the investigation, Kathy Browning told animal control officers that her husband, Paul Browning, 36, had hit her during an argument over money. She had a bruise on her right eye, according to the report. He is being held without bail at the county jail.

"The state of neglect that our Animal Control Officers found these dogs in ... was just awful," said Sheriff Grady Judd. "We got there in the nick of time - and now that we have custody of these dogs, we can bring them back to health and ensure they have the quality of life they deserve. We appreciate the public's concern for these animals, which led us to this residence in the first place. And not only did we save these dogs, we put a man who battered his wife behind bars as well."