Five slobbering, loving pit bulls are recovering from neglect, malnutrition and mistreatment at the Humane Society of St. Lucie County while their so-called owner is out of jail on $25,000 bail awaiting her day in court.
Sissy, Nala, Moose, Chaos and Danny – or “The Fab 5,” as the Humane Society calls them – are dealing with a host of medical ailments.
Sissy, an American Bulldog, according to the Humane Society, should weigh between 80 and 90 pounds. She is just half that weight.
“Five beautiful dogs that should be rolling around in the grass, being spoiled with toys and treats, and smothering their families in kisses were abandoned for over a month with little or no food and water,” Humane Society spokesman David Lynch posted to a GoFundMe page, taking up a collection to cover their mounting medical expenses.
The account has received (as of press time) $235 of the admittedly “low-ball estimate” $2,000 goal, Lynch told the St. Lucie Voice.
The Humane Society’s Facebook page has been keeping the public updated on the dogs’ progress.
One post, from Monday evening, showed a photo of Sissy sitting patiently for a treat.
“She has been such a good girl this past week and has already gained 10lbs!! She is making good progress, but please keep her in your thoughts as she still has a long way to go. Keep fighting Sissy,” the post reads.
Nala, too, has appeared on the Facebook page, showing off for the camera while rolling in the grass.
“Nala, one our FAB FIVE dogs who were recently neglected and abandoned in a PSL home, is enjoying a nice morning walk. She absolute loves to roll around in the grass and receive belly rubs,” reads the post.
Sissy and Nala are expected to be ready to find forever homes in a few months. The others should be ready to go to new homes in just a couple weeks, according to Lynch.
The Humane Society is collecting names of those interested in taking one of the Fab 5 home.
Along with the GoFundMe account, the Humane Society will benefit from a PSL Rocks-coordinated event at Tail-Gators Brews & Grill on Dec. 16. All day – from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. (Dec. 17) – 10 percent of all proceeds will go to the Fab 5. And, from 5 p.m. to close, there will be raffle prizes to further raise funds to care for the dogs.
The dogs’ “owner” – identified as Christina Hand – has been arrested and charged with five felony counts of animal cruelty. She has since entered a not guilty plea in court and has requested a jury trial, according to court records.
On Dec. 1, Hand was arrested following the Port St. Lucie Police Department’s investigation. Authorities responded to the home, located in the 4900 block of NW Ever Road, on Nov. 26, following a complaint from a neighbor.
The neighbor called after seeing the dogs in the front window and noticing the home looked abandoned.
After the dogs were recovered from the house, investigators went to work figuring out who the property owner is and where that person could be found.
They discovered that Hand is the registered property owner and that the home had been registered as “Loving Hands Pit Bull Rescue.”
The so-called rescue had previous addresses that included SW Biltmore in Port St. Lucie and Delaware Avenue in Fort Pierce.
Authorities tracked Hand to her deceased grandmother’s home and found her vehicle in front, according to the arrest report. However, Hand did not come to the door when investigators knocked.
They then went to Hand’s father’s home. Her father told investigators that he knew they were there about his daughter. He explained that she had just called to tell him that police had been to her house and that she was in trouble because of the dogs.
Through her father, investigators were eventually able to interview Hand, who told them that she had moved out of the Ever Road house and into her grandmother’s house months ago but that she always stopped by to take care of the dogs.
She also told investigators that she had been receiving death threats, though the arrest affidavit did not provide any detail on those threats or what connection they might have had to the case.
Hand also expressed concern that her arrest might interfere with her being able to get married as planned on Dec. 10.
In the days following her arrest, Hand has bonded out of jail and is now represented by attorney Michael Robert Ohle, of Ohle & Ohle in Fort Pierce.
She has entered a plea of not guilty before Judge James McCann. It was not known as of press time when she is due back in court.
How you can help:
Donations can be made by visiting www.hsslc.org or www.gofundme.com/medical-fund-for-abused-fab-5
Mailed to P.O. Box 14199, Fort Pierce, FL, 34979
Or dropped off at the following Humane Society locations:
- Port St. Lucie: 8890 NW Glades Cut-off Rd., Port St. Lucie, FL, 34986
- Fort Pierce: 100 Savannah Rd., Fort Pierce, FL, 34982
In-kind donations of toys, treats and the like are also needed, as are fosters and adopters. Until the end of the year, the Humane Society is offering “Name Your Own Price” for all adoptions. n