Dozens of Dogs Rescued After Being Abandoned In Fort Lauderdale Neighborhood
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) -- Animal care and control officials rescued 23 dogs and 18 puppies from a filthy Fort Lauderdale home Tuesday after the tenant was evicted and neighbors said she walked away from the animals, sources told CBS 4 News.
Gracie Alexander, who lives across from the home on NW 7 Terrace, said on windy days the stench from the home was absolutely overwhelming.
"Ammonia," she said. "Horrendous. Just stinky."
As night fell Tuesday, animal care and control officials finishing removing the last dog from the home. During the day, pictures from a CBS 4 viewer showed dogs everywhere and police trying to get a handle on the situation. A photo from inside the home showed the filth and dirt on the walls and two dog bowls of dirty water.
"That was a crazy lady," Alexander said.
Neighbors say when the tenant moved in two months ago, she didn't have any dogs then suddenly she had dozens. The landlord said the tenant is Ann Centofanti, who lived in the home with her daughter. Neighbors say the pair was evicted on Tuesday. State prison records show Centofanti is on probation for several charges including torturing animals. Neighbors say she left a mess inside and out and simply abandoned all the dogs.
ALEXANDER: "She went walking down the street and they called the dog catcher for the dogs."
CODD: "So she just left and left all the dogs behind?"
ALEXANDER: "All the dogs."
CODD: "What do you think about somebody that could do that?"
ALEXANDER: "Well, that's not her first time."
CBS 4 News has reported on Ann Centofanti in the past. In this case, the landlord said her house is trashed and clean up could cost in the tens of thousands of dollars. A man named Albert who declined to give his last name said he was paid to clean out the inside of the house on Tuesday and only found one bag of dog food inside for all these animals. He believes the tenant should face criminal charges.
"They should be in jail," Albert said. "That's what I think. It's animal cruelty."
The dogs and puppies are now living at Broward County Animal Care and Control, where officials say they will be screened by a veterinarian on Wednesday morning in the hopes of adopting them out.
