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A man in Brevard County, Florida, was arrested earlier this month after being accused of "intentionally" starving his dogs, Katie and Darcy.
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said in a press conference that the man, Joseph Farkas, drank liquid detergent when police arrived in an attempt to "avoid jail," but the plot was unsuccessful. He was arrested and charged with two counts of felony animal cruelty and two counts of unlawful confinement.
Animal Cruelty in Florida
According to the Law Office of Roger P. Foley, a Florida-based law firm, there are "two types of animal cruelty" in Florida—misdemeanor and felony animal cruelty.
"The main difference between the two is the misdemeanor animal cruelty involves an isolated event while felony animal cruelty is ongoing pain and suffering," the law firm said.
Misdemeanor animal cruelty is punishable by up to one year in jail, a maximum fine of $5,000, or both. Felony animal cruelty, meanwhile, is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Additionally, a person found to have "intentionally tortured [an] animal" must pay a minimum fine of $2,500 and undergo psychological counseling or complete an anger management course.
Under Florida Law, a person convicted of either crime may also be prohibited from owning, keeping or having custody of any animal for "a period of time determined by the court."
Ivey told the press that if he has "anything to do with it," Farkas won't be allowed to own a pet again.
Katie and Darcy
Ivey said the investigation into Farkas started in early September "following a call from a concerned citizen." When sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene, they found Katie and Darcy in "desperate" condition.
"The two dogs—Katie and Darcy—were both emaciated and actually in a state of paralysis, to the point where our team had to physically carry them out of the residence for emergency intervention and medical treatment," Ivey said. "In fact, their conditions were so desperate that Katie had been paralyzed on the floor of her residence for several days and was lying in puddles of her own urine."
As a result, Katie suffered urine scalding, and Darcy—who was said to be in a state of "total and complete emaciation" with an untreated skin disease—was "days from death" when police arrived. The dogs also experienced "mental anguish" from being forced to stare at a bag of unopened dog food while being starved.
Farkas purportedly told investigators that he "didn't know" his dogs needed help and showed "no remorse." He also refused to let investigators into his home when they arrived with the warrant for his arrest and allegedly tried to drink liquid detergent to avoid going to jail.
"Sorry about your luck, pal. But our team kicked in your door long before you could drink enough liquid detergent to harm yourself," Ivey said.
Thankfully, Katie and Darcy's recoveries have gone well. Darcy has already been adopted into a new family, and Katie will be up for adoption soon, according to police.
As for Farkas, he is being held on an $11,000 bond.
Newsweek reached out to the Brevard County Clerk of Court for comment.
In the News
In September, a Florida father and daughter were arrested after a video of a raccoon being burned alive went viral.
In February, dozens of underweight dogs with skin infections were seized from a home in Santa Rosa County, Florida.
And last summer, two pet owners were arrested on charges of animal cruelty after police found 17 dehydrated animals in the back of the couple's U-Haul.
About the writer
Sara Santora is a Newsweek reporter based in Florida. Her focus is reporting on viral social media posts and trends. ... Read more