DAVENPORT, FL – A Davenport woman already in custody on traffic-related charges is now facing additional criminal charges after deputies say five neglected dogs and one deceased dog were discovered at her home.
The investigation began after 33-year-old Caroline Kanyamauri was arrested by the Davenport Police Department on June 24, 2026, on five traffic-related misdemeanor charges. While being taken into custody, Kanyamauri asked officers to contact her sister so she could check on the dogs at her residence because she would be in jail.
The following day, the sister went to the home and contacted the Polk County Sheriff’s Office after finding the animals in what investigators described as severely neglected conditions.
Deputies reported finding the decomposing remains of a dog inside a black wire kennel in the backyard. Four live puppies were discovered on a porch covered in feces, while an adult male dog inside the home was visibly malnourished, with its ribs and bone structure clearly showing. Investigators said all five surviving dogs appeared to be underweight and infested with parasites.
The rescued animals were taken to Polk County Animal Control, where they are undergoing comprehensive veterinary examinations and treatment.
As a result of the investigation, PCSO Animal Cruelty Investigators added the following charges against Kanyamauri:
- Five counts of animal cruelty (misdemeanor)
- Five counts of animal neglect (misdemeanor)
- One count of unlawful disposal of a dead animal (misdemeanor)
“We are grateful to this suspect’s family member for contacting law enforcement when she encountered what were clearly severely neglected and malnourished pets, in time for us to rescue these puppies and dog and return them to health,” Sheriff Grady Judd said. “It is our hope that they go to loving homes as soon as they are rehabilitated, and that Ms. Kanyamauri is not allowed to own animals again.” Kanyamauri remains in the Polk County Jail.
SOURCE: POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
