SerpApi.Org
STUART, Fla. (WFLA) — A mail carrier in Florida ended up with an estimated 70 to 80 cats living in “horrific” conditions her house after bringing home feral strays that she found along her mail route.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Animal Control and Martin County Fire Rescue responded to a home in the 11500 block of Southwest Meadowlark Circle to investigate reports that Gail Giustino, 77, was collecting animals and bringing them home.
Authorities obtained a search warrant after Giustino refused to allow animal control officers into her home. In the decade leading up to the warrant, animal control issued 65 civil citations to the homeowner and attempted to work with her, according to Sheriff John Budensiek, but she was not cooperative.
When deputies attempted to serve the search warrant on Monday, Budensiek said the odor emanating from the home could be smelled from the street. Deputies had to ventilate the building before they could safely enter the home, which had up to a foot of animal feces on the floor.
Giustino told deputies that her home had about 70 dogs and cats inside, but she may have initially had an estimated 20 additional pets that she surrendered to rescues and other facilities. Deputies believe they found “north of 70 or 80” animals in cages when they searched the home.
(Martin County Sheriff’s Office) (Martin County Sheriff’s Office) (Martin County Sheriff’s Office) (Martin County Sheriff’s Office) (Martin County Sheriff’s Office)
“Clearly, this is a hoarder scenario,” Budensiek said in a news conference Monday. “The worst case of animal hoarding I’ve seen in Martin County.”
Giustino was arrested on two misdemeanor animal cruelty-related offenses. The sheriff said they could have pursued more serious charges, but wanted to act quickly to obtain the search warrant, save the animals, and get Giustino into mental health treatment.
“Do we want to arrest a 77-year-old lady? The answer is absolutely not,” Budensiek said. “If we truly believed she was an animal abuser, a person taking advantage of them, we would try to bury her under the jail. That’s not the case in this case. We truly believe that Gail thinks she’s doing the right thing, but she’s doing it the wrong way.”
The dozens of animals were taken to the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, where deputies said veterinarians were assessing their conditions.
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