Local

Sheriff: Brevard County veterinary tech abandoned dog, pig over dispute with dead boyfriend’s kids

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Brevard County deputies say a local woman who claims to be a veterinary technician was arrested Monday for animal cruelty.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

The investigation began back on May 1, but according to Sheriff Wayne Ivey, the abuse began much earlier.

According to the sheriff’s office, 57-year-old Lita Rogers had been living at a home in Cocoa with her boyfriend until he died in August of last year. Deputies say Rogers lived in the home from August until roughly March of this year.

READ: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to announce he’s running for president during discussion with Elon Musk

According to the sheriff’s office, Rogers had a dispute with the boyfriend’s kids and moved out of the home, leaving behind a dog and a pig.

When deputies responded to the home over a neighbor’s concerns about the dog, they arrived to find the dog completely decomposed right next to an empty food bowl.

Deputies say the pig was near death but a team of Brevard County veterinary technicians managed to nurse it back to health.

READ: Small plane makes emergency landing on East Colonial Drive in Christmas

According to the sheriff’s office, when confronted about the pets, Rogers told deputies it wasn’t her responsibility to care for them.

However, Sheriff Ivey noted that Rogers admitted she returned to the home four separate times to check on her car and could see that the pets were starving to death.

Deputies say Rogers even told a neighbor that the dog had died and she notified the sheriff’s office about it, but that never happened.

READ: Orange County firefighters battle fire at chicken farm

Rogers was charged with two counts of aggravated animal cruelty, a felony. She also faces two counts each of confining an animal without food and water, and animal abandonment, both misdemeanors.

She’s since been released on a total of $24,000 bond.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.