A Palm Coast woman is facing felony animal cruelty charges after authorities say she left a dog and cat inside a home without running water or air conditioning during an eviction — leaving the cat so sick it was ultimately euthanized.
Erin Curley, 36, was arrested Aug. 20 by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, on two counts of aggravated animal cruelty and two counts of unlawful abandonment or confinement of an animal according to a charging affidavit obtained by HomeFetch.
The investigation began July 12, when deputies with FCSO’s Agriculture/Ranch Unit responded to a home on Waybourne Place after neighbors reported they had not seen anyone at the residence for about two weeks and could hear a dog barking inside.
Because the eviction was scheduled to be carried out the following day and the dog did not appear to be in immediate distress, deputies did not enter the home, according to the affidavit.
Deputies returned July 13 during the eviction, when Palm Coast Animal Control officers removed the dog and discovered an extremely skinny cat — later named Mila by rescuers — hiding in a closet in the back room.
Inside, investigators described a home that smelled of urine and feces, stating, “the air was stale because the AC was not on.” Deputies found mounds of feces and urine stains in a room where they said the dog had been relieving itself.
The room where the cat was found contained an overflowing litter box and two bowls of dry cat food, but investigators found no water available. There was also no dog food or water bowl elsewhere in the home, according to the affidavit.
The toilet bowl was also dry, leading investigators to believe the dog had been drinking from it.
Records obtained during the investigation showed the home’s water had recorded no consumption since June 12, according to the affidavit. Electricity was disconnected July 8 — five days before the animals were removed.
The dog was taken to Flagler Humane Society and was found to be in good physical health, according to FCSO. The Sheriff’s Office said the dog is not expected to be available for adoption because of its mental condition.
Mila was taken to East Coast Animal Hospital, where veterinarians found she was dehydrated and had extremely high calcium levels, among other health problems. Based on the veterinary evaluation, Palm Coast Animal Control decided to have her euthanized.
Nearly a month after the animals were removed from the home, Curley emailed investigators on Aug. 5 to ask how she could retrieve the dog.
“I’ve been trying to locate my dog after an eviction and finally was able to find out he is at the humane society,” Curley wrote, according to the affidavit.
In a second email, she told deputies she did not know she was going to be evicted and said she would never intentionally leave the dog behind.
Deputies later attempted to arrange a time to meet with Curley to discuss the dog and the investigation, but she did not follow up, according to the affidavit. A warrant was issued Aug. 14, and she was arrested six days later.
“This woman clearly did not care about her pets, as she left them hungry and thirsty with no place to use the bathroom. Then, she finally reached out a month later asking about her dog and didn’t even bring up her cat who tragically passed away,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement. “We don’t tolerate animal cruelty in any form.”
Following her arrest, Curley was taken to the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Sanford, where FCSO said she was being held on $25,000 bond.
