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Deputies: 28 malnourished dogs, 2 dead dogs found at Kissimmee home

By WFTV Web Staff and Janine Reyes
By WFTV Web Staff and Janine Reyes
A mother and her son were arrested this week after Osceola County deputies found more than two dozen malnourished dogs living in a home.
Deputies searched Maria Reyes’ house on East Irlo Memorial Highway in October after receiving complaints that there may have been dogfighting and drug deals at the home.
Reyes lived in the home with her son, Jimmy Figueroa, who was arrested on drug possession charges.
The dogs were found chained up with little access to food or water, according to a report.
Deputies noted that they could see the animals’ ribs.
“It's living hell for these animals and I don't ever want to see that in Osceola county,” said Osceola County Sheriff Russ Gibson. “There were sharp ends of the nails sticking up from the floor in some of the kennels and the dogs were stepping on the sharp ends, just, I mean, things that would turn a pet owner's stomach.”
Two burned dog carcasses were found in a metal trash can on the back side of the property, deputies said.
Osceola County Animal Control took possession of the 28 dogs, along with 10 roosters and chickens, one turtle, one snake and the two dead dogs.
Some of the dogs Animal Control seized couldn't walk.
“Some of them appeared to have bite marks and they were all in different stages of healing,” said Gibson.
Several had to be euthanized because of their injuries or aggression, while some of the others have been adopted. The rest are still being treated.
“The future of those 28 dogs that were rescued was going to be the same as the two dogs that were discovered in the trash can,” Gibson said.
One most of the investigation was complete, detectives obtained arrest warrants in December for 35 counts of animal cruelty and nine counts of aggravated animal cruelty.
Figueroa and Reyes were arrested and each are being held in jail on a $95,000 bond.  

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