(Sumter County, FL) Tuesday, August 13, 2024, inside the courtroom of the Honorable Judge Paul Militello, jurors found 35-year-old Amy Michelle Parrish, of Bushnell, guilty on three counts of Animal Cruelty after a thorough presentation of compelling evidence and witness testimony. After the verdict was delivered, Parrish was sentenced to 180 days in jail.
“The defendant in this case had many opportunities and plenty of time to remedy the situation for these animals,” said Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney. “At the end of the day, she also had the opportunity to turn these animals over if she could not provide adequate care.”
Parrish was initially arrested back in April of this year after a Sumter County Animal Control Officer (ACO) responded to the home for a follow-up welfare check on three animals. Officials had initially responded to the home back in September of 2023 about a report of three malnourished dogs. After warning Parrish about the animals’ questionable conditions, she stated she would be providing additional care and nutrition to the dogs. When ACOs conducted a secondary check in October, all three dogs were reported to be improving in health.
However, when ACO Gravatt went to do another follow-up check on the animals, she observed the three dogs to be in worse condition than when the initial check was conducted back in September. At that time, ACO Gravatt called the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office for assistance. Officials seized all three animals in question, which were all Pitbulls: 7-year-old Clyde, 9-year-old Cookie, and 11-year-old Bash.
The animals were so desperate for food, that they were observed eating paper that was lying around on the ground. It was apparent that both Clyde and Cookie were not being provided enough food to eat, as both animals were thin and had their ribs protruding out. Bash was observed to be much thinner than the other two, and extremely underweight with his ribs and individual backbones bulging out. Additionally, Bash had wounds near his tailbone from an unknown source.
Due to these observations, with the animals ranking lower on the body scale than the initial visit, Parrish was placed under arrest and transported to the Sumter County Detention Center.
Unfortunately, Bash the 11-year-old Pitbull had to be humanely euthanized due to his critical condition. Cookie has since been adopted to a loving home, and officials at Sumter County Animal Services are still looking for Clyde’s forever home. If you would like to adopt Clyde, please visit their website at https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/1270/Adopt-Today or call (352)689-4400.
The successful prosecution of this case was a result of the dedicated efforts of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Sumter County Animal Services Officers, Veterinarian Candice Humphrey, Dr. Stern from the University of Florida Veterinarian and Forensic Pathologist (also a member of our Animal Cruelty Taskforce), and Assistant State Attorneys Scott Ragan and Elizabeth Hart.
Published on 08/15/2024.