AUBURNDALE, FL — An Auburndale woman is facing multiple criminal charges after a Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigation found a dog with its muzzle taped shut and uncovered what authorities described as deplorable living conditions involving numerous animals.
The investigation began after deputies saw a photo circulating on Facebook showing a dog with duct tape wrapped around its muzzle. Detectives quickly tracked down the person who posted the image and learned the dog had been found hiding under a wheelchair ramp. The woman who found the dog said she and her son removed the tape, allowing the animal to breathe normally again.
Detectives later located the dog’s owner, 57-year-old Tammy Annette Roosa, at a residence on Chipman Lane near Old Berkley Road in Auburndale. Investigators said Roosa admitted the dog, named Cooper, belonged to her and acknowledged taping his muzzle shut the night before because she claimed the dog had tried to bite her.
Cooper was taken to Polk County Animal Control, where an examination found scarring consistent with the duct tape, signs of malnourishment, and marks on his neck indicating he had been tied up for an extended period.
During Roosa’s arrest, deputies entered her RV at her request to retrieve a purse and reported finding large amounts of garbage, roaches, and a strong odor of urine and feces. Authorities also discovered seven cats, three fish, two lovebirds, two finches, and a duck living inside the camper.
Polk County Fire Rescue measured ammonia levels inside the RV at 100 parts per million, a concentration officials described as extreme and capable of causing chronic respiratory issues and eye irritation.
The Sheriff’s Office Agriculture Crimes Unit also reported finding piles of garbage, decaying debris, waist-high grass, and leaking sewage around the property.
Roosa was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty, 15 counts of animal neglect, resisting without violence, operating an unpermitted landfill, and three counts of keeping a nuisance injurious to health.
All of the animals were removed from the property and are expected to recover, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
SOURCE: POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
