TOWN 'N' COUNTRY, Fla. — Hillsborough County is helping raise funds for a dog that was beaten with a rubber mallet.
The Hillsborough County Pet Resources Foundation is helping cover some of the dog's veterinary costs, which amount to nearly $3,000, after a woman was arrested on May 1 for the alleged abuse.
According to authorities, the sheriff's office received a report about an animal cruelty incident on Halifax Drive in Town 'N' Country.
When deputies arrived, HCSO said they were given surveillance footage of Elizabeth Jaimes, 24, hitting a 9-year-old Siberian husky with a rubber mallet on the head and torso while holding her on a leash.
Jaimes was living in the house with her boyfriend and his mother, the dog's owner. She said she started to notice injuries on the dog, named Maya, around August, which was the same time Jaimes moved in.
Maya's owner put up a hidden camera to monitor what she thought was happening to the dog. The cameras then showed the abuse. HCSO said that Jaimes admitted to hitting the dog because he growled at her.
Maya was taken to the Veterinary Emergency Group, which confirmed that he had sustained multiple blunt-force head and back injuries, including spine and rib fractures, and was blind in one eye.
Maya was reunited with her owner after Jaimes' arrest and is recovering at home. HCSO and Hillsborough County Animal Control are also working to legally prohibit Jaimes from owning a pet in the future.
- Those who wish to donate to the foundation can click here.
