A Sarasota woman left 19 dogs outside for months. Now she’s in a jail cell

A 53-year-old Sarasota woman was arrested Tuesday afternoon on animal cruelty charges.

According to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s office, Amy Lovering left her 19 dogs in a makeshift kennel. They didn’t have proper shelter or nourishment, deputies said.

The arrest came as part of a larger investigation that began Jan. 27. Animal Services officers had been dispatched to Mattox Circle in North Port in response to a report of abandoned dogs.

Officers discovered “several dogs” in wire pens and small carriers, exposed to cold weather and lacking food or clean water. Deputies say they were small-breed dogs ranging in age from four weeks to 16 years old.

Agricultural Unit deputies then made contact with Lovering, who said she made the kennels herself for the dogs to sleep in while out of town. She also said the dogs had been in the kennel from November 2017 to January 2018.

Lovering admitted to keeping 15 of the dogs confined to her pickup truck. According to the sheriff’s office, the dogs had overgrown nails and fur. They were also covered in dirt and flea-infested. After an examination, veterinarians discovered each of the dogs suffered from internal parasites, as well.

Lovering faces two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals and one count of confinement without food or water. She is being held without bond and has two prior arrests for animal cruelty in Tennessee.

This story was originally published February 14, 2018 at 7:03 PM with the headline "A Sarasota woman left 19 dogs outside for months. Now she’s in a jail cell."