Sheriff: Illegal puppy mill operator facing dozens of charges after years of complaints

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey says his deputies have finally shut down an illegal puppy mill that members of the community have been complaining about for years.

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According to the sheriff’s office, the complaints about 36-year-old Elisabeth Cleveland and her dogs’ living conditions date back to January of 2016.

Since then, deputies say the sheriff’s office has received approximately 20 complaints of alleged animal neglect and abuse at three different properties associated with Cleveland: two neighboring homes on Crisafulli Road in Merritt Island and a commercial property on Mustang Lane in Cocoa.

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Ivey says each time deputies were called to check on the animals at either location, Cleveland or her husband would refuse to cooperate and tell them to return with a warrant.

According to the sheriff’s office, it wasn’t until June 27th of this year when a judge finally signed an inspection warrant for the Mustang Lane property, allowing deputies to go inside and examine the conditions.

What deputies say they found at Mustang Lane led to 38 counts of felony aggravated animal cruelty charges against Cleveland and 38 more counts of unlawful confinement of animals without sufficient food or water, a misdemeanor.

Deputies say the dogs found at the Mustang Lane location had no cover from the heat and no water. Their food and water dishes contained vomit and mold, and many of the dogs had open wounds and eye infections.

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The conditions at Mustang Lane led to search warrants for the Crisafulli Road locations, where Ivey says deputies found conditions that were equally appalling.

Deputies say they found dogs living in the worst possible conditions and evidence that Cleveland was practicing veterinary care without a license to do so there. Ivey says there’s evidence Cleveland may have even euthanized a dog herself at the home.

Dogs there were living under the floorboards, and two, Ivey says, likely won’t survive.

According to Sheriff Ivey, it appears as though Cleveland was breeding the dogs at the Mustang Lane location then moving them to Crissafulli once they were ready to be delivered.

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Cleveland was booked into the Brevard County jail Wednesday on a total of 76 charges. However, deputies say many more felony charges are forthcoming for Cleveland and her spouse, who described himself to investigators as an employee.

Cleveland remains in jail on a total of $114,000 bond.

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