Florida woman who brutally attacked husky with mallet sentenced to five years in jail
The abuse was captured on a hidden camera, and showed Elizabeth Jaimes striking the 9-year-old dog over sixty times.
A screenshot from the hidden camera footage. Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO)
A Florida woman has been sentenced to more than five years in jail after hidden camera footage caught her brutally abusing a husky.
Elizabeth Jaimes, 24, was arrested in May last year for Aggravated Animal Cruelty after authorities were given surveillance footage of Jaimes abusing a 9-year-old Siberian Husky named Maya.
Before the arrest, Jaimes was living in a home in Tampa, Florida, with her boyfriend and his mother Kimberly Johns, the dog’s owner. Johns had noticed that Maya the husky had been suffering from unexplained injuries which started shortly after Jaimes had moved in.
Johns initially took Maya to the veterinarian upon noticing cuts on the dog’s head. Around a month later, Johns returned to the veterinarian with Maya who then had a twisted toenail.
The next month, Johns visited again after Maya was found to be struggling to walk. The veterinarian requested that Johns install a hidden camera in the home to see what was happening to the dog.
The hidden camera eventually captured Elizabeth Jaimes abusing Maya on film. Jaimes was captured in the surveillance footage repeatedly striking the husky on the head and torso with a rubber mallet.
Maya safe with a guardian. Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO)
In the footage of the mallet attack, Jaimes is seen striking Maya at least 64 times.
The dog’s owner gave the undercover footage to authorities, which led to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arresting Jaimes. Jaimes admitted to the abuse, and claimed it was because the dog had growled at her.
Maya was brought to an emergency vet who confirmed that the dog had multiple blunt-force head and back injuries, including spine and rib fractures, and had gone blind in one eye. Investigators believe that the abuse may have lasted for over six months.
Now, the court has ruled that Jaimes must serve nearly six years in prison for the second-degree felony. As part of the sentencing on May 10, the verdict stated that Jaimes must also be registered on the animal abuser registry, and will be prohibited from having any animals upon release.
Maya safe with a guardian. Credit: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO)
Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez told press that she has “never had a case that’s been this egregious” in nearly 20 years of prosecutions.
Maya is said to be doing well, and continuing her recovery under the care of her guardian. "I think it's a miracle that Maya's alive," Dr. Jerika Brooks, Lead Shelter Veterinarian for the Pet Resources Center, had told the court.
Campaign group In Defence of Animals (IDA) welcomed the strong sentence, after they had petitioned the state attorney’s office to pursue maximum charges in the case.
“We are grateful to State Attorney Lopez for her strong prosecution and the judge for passing a strong sentence for this despicable case of severe and sustained animal abuse”, said Doll Stanley, Senior Justice for Animals Campaigner for IDA. “It’s a miracle that Maya survived, and we hope this sentence can help her and her family heal from the trauma. When the justice system works for animals like this, it sends a strong message and prevents such horrors.”
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