UNION COUNTY, Fla. — A Union County man and woman have been arrested for their role in an illegal breeding operation and are facing 14 charges, the Union County Sheriff's Office said.
Zachary and Jessica Collins were charged with five counts of felony aggravated cruelty to animals and nine counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals.
On March 15, the sheriff's office and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals conducted an investigation at SW 36th Ave. in Providence regarding animal cruelty. They discovered approximately 120 mistreated dogs and puppies that were rescued from extremely unsanitary conditions, the agency said.
The ASPCA gave the animals medical care and behavioral treatment, and relocated the dogs to emergency shelters where they received forensic exams to support the criminal investigation. The ASPCA investigators and veterinarians assisted in the extensive investigation, the sheriff's office noted.
The dogs are primarily Great Danes, but also included Chinese Crested dogs, and French and English bulldogs. Many of the dogs appeared to be underweight and have untreated medical conditions, the sheriff's office said.
In addition to assisting on scene, ASPCA relocated the dogs to an emergency shelter where they will receive forensic exams to support the investigation, and administer medical care and behavioral treatment.
“All dogs deserve proper care and a good quality of life, including those who are bred for sale, which unfortunately was not the case in this situation,” ASPCA President and CEO Matt Bershadker said in a press release in March. “Upon our arrival, we discovered some animals who appeared underweight with untreated medical conditions and living in extremely unsanitary conditions.”
“... We have a proven track record of always taking animal cruelty seriously and it will not be tolerated in our county,” Union County Sheriff Brad Whitehead said in March.
