Woman Sentenced to Jail for Leaving Animals in 'Horrific Condition'

A woman, Yvette Martinez, was sentenced to 99 days in jail and five years on probation for leaving 15 dogs in 'horrific' conditions. 

Judge Heather Marden Jones of the Fresno County Superior Court said that the photographs are horrific, and there is no other way to describe it. 

Martinez admitted to felony animal cruelty, and her lawyer argued that she has already been punished so she shouldn't go to jail. 

The lawyer, Garin Kantarci, said Martinez already had significant media coverage from the case, and she has become a pariah in the community where she is a resident for decades. She had difficulty getting a job and renting a home. 

Prosecutor Sidney Ricks pointed out is that the reason why Martinez had a hard time finding a place to live is that the house that she lived in had to be condemned. Martinez's lousy behavior was keeping at least 8-10 dogs despite not having the capacity to take care of it since 2014, making these animals suffer for a long time. 

The Judge also ruled that Martinez is not allowed to own an animal for the next ten years.

Cat and Dogs in Horrific Condition

In 2019, police found 15 dogs in distress and a dead cat inside the home of Yvette Martinez. One of the dogs had to be euthanized. Animal feces covered the house in some place at ankle-depth length and several inches of the garbage pile. 

The dogs were found to have no source of food and water, were severely ridden with fleas, and had several other health issues. 

The animals, with help from the Second Chance Animal Shelter of Selma and SPCA, were taken by the authorities for treatment at Kingsburg Veterinary Clinic. 

Police chief Neil Dadian admitted that "this is the worst case of animal cruelty and neglect he has ever seen in his forty years of law enforcement."

According to the Kingsburg Police Department, Martinez then surrendered herself to Kingsburg police and was arrested on suspicion of 16 felony accounts of animal cruelty.

The police investigation came after neighbors complained about the home in the 200 blocks of West Orange Street. The home, as neighbors reported, smelled terrible, and dogs were barking incessantly. Neighbors believed Martinez abandoned the house and the animals inside.

As early as 2014, however, neighbor Sean Woods emailed the city manager in 2014 to investigate Martinez's home, but he authorities said they were nothing that they can do about it. Woods complained that his wife got 20 flea bites while talking to a friend, while his son had four or five new bites a day.

Martinez' s  neighbors said some of their animals have gotten sick and suspects that there might be bacteria from Martinez' s home that are infecting their pets as Martinez's cats are coming to their house to eat. 

The house was quarantined, and the property had to be condemned as quickly as possible as it posed a health hazard. The police said that the officers who investigated the home also had to undergo a medical screening.