A Pasco County woman who dumped dozens of cats and dogs in a U-Haul truck outside a Publix Supermarket on Tuesday afternoon, has been arrested, Pasco County deputies said.
52-year-old Frances Terry Evans has been charged with 53 counts of animal cruelty and is being held on a $26,500 bond.
Investigators say, Evans, who is an animal hoarder, abandoned the truck load of animals because she didn’t want to turn them over as she had been ordered to do to Pasco County officials. Â Evans should have handed over the animals by May 21.
Investigators and Animal Services Officers located the U-Haul truck to the rear of the Publix on County Line Road and Mariner Boulevard.
The animals, stored in plastic containers, could be heard screaming inside a very hot truck, investigators said. Â Most were in need of immediate veterinary attention.
The investigation is ongoing.
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