BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A man was arrested after Brevard County deputies removed two dogs from his home after finding the animals emaciated and neglected, according to the sheriff’s office.
Joseph Farkas, 68, was booked into the Brevard County lock-up on Wednesday.
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Deputies said they received a call from someone who had been in Farkas’ home in Mims and reported, “both dogs are skin and bones.”
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The caller said there was an unopened bag of dog food in the home, but that Farkas refused to allow her to open the bag and asked her to leave, records show.
Investigators said they went to the home in Mims to perform a well-being check on the dogs. The animals were found to be emaciated with their bones visible through their skin, according to the affidavit for an arrest warrant.
Deputies said the dogs were unable to get up under their own power and could not sit up or walk. The dogs were also soaked in urine and showed other signs of neglect, such as overgrown nails and plaque on their teeth.
Investigators said they observed the unopened bag of food in the home, which appeared to have been sitting there for some time.
Farkas surrendered the animals to deputies who took them for emergency veterinary care, records show. Deputies said both dogs had gained weight and were able to stand and walk under their own power within eight days of receiving proper care.
Farkas faces two counts of unlawful confinement or abandonment of an animal and two counts of animal cruelty.
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