CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — Citrus County Animal Control is seeing an increase in the number of animal cruelty cases being prosecuted this year. 

On Tuesday, Spectrum Bay News 9 reported that the Citrus County Animal Shelter has surpassed its capacity following a recent animal cruelty case.

Lora Peckham has been in the Citrus County Animal Control Division for almost 20 years.

“During the first eight years of my career, I never saw an arrest for animal cruelty or neglect,” Peckham said. “In 2013, a series of events happened that caused our agency to kind of delve into the animal cruelty laws and determine how the prosecution of animals could and should happen.” 

What used to be a misdemeanor charge, she explained, now anyone found guilty now could face a felony charge and years behind bars. She also said 2020 was when they started seeing numbers they’ve never seen before.

“January 1 to December 31, we had nine cases that resulted in arrest. There were 19 animals seized in those nine cases,” Peckham said.

Two more cases remain under review. By mid-July 2021, she explained that her department has already surpassed those numbers.

“We’ve already seen 13 cases prosecuted, 14 arrests and a total of 154 animals have been ceased from those inhumane conditions. There are still four cases pending and we’re just halfway through the year. “ 

She mentioned that it’s hard to pinpoint why the number of cases being prosecuted has increased.

“I’d like to believe that the number of people committing these acts has not gone up but it’s certainly a possibility,” she said.

It’s also possible that more people are feeling more comfortable speaking out about what they see, and she said the team over at the animal shelter has a background in forensics and can identify if neglect or harm has been done.

“In the time that I’ve done this job," Peckham mentioned about the doctors and workers over at the county's animal services department. "We’ve never had such a phenomenal team of people working to combat animal and neglect.”

Lastly, she said the goal is not to prosecute anyone but to educate them on how to be better pet owners.