JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Nearly 60 dogs need homes tonight after they were taken from their owner for their safety. 59-year-old ‘Yhristina’ (Christina) Hawkins was arrested and faces animal cruelty charges.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
“It was horrible, you could hear the stress amongst the animals,” an anonymous neighbor said.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Animal Care and Protective Services served a search and seizure warrant on two properties in Jacksonville -- one on Picketville Rd. and another on Dobson Dr.
“That’s the tough part,” ACPS Division Chief Michael Bricker said. “Just with these dogs, there’s 56 dogs from this property, but in total today – we’re not closed yet – we’ve taken in 80 dogs already, which brings our capacity to like 370 dogs on property.”
A report lists Hawkins as owning the dogs.
Bricker said he had been to these properties before and these dogs have been living in poor conditions.
“We have seen a lot of dogs have parasites, you know, worms, fleas, some skin irritation and condition, those type of things,” Bricker said. “But after their full vet exam, we’ll know more.”
Court records show Hawkins has been in and out of jail accused of making these animals suffer.
She was arrested last December on more than 30 counts of animal cruelty. In that arrest, investigators found the Pickettville property had 15 cages with 30 live dogs and one dead dog. And The Dobson Dr property had 44 dogs. The reports say investigators found “the dogs were covered in their own feces and urine and were visibly shivering from the cold.”
READ: Dozens of dogs and cats removed from Middleburg home after being surrendered to Clay County
Hawkins was arrested again today on the same charge.
“It sounded like it must have been 100 dogs, but it would sound like they were fighting,” the neighbor said.
The neighbor said she did not want to show her face or reveal her name to protect her safety. She said she heard barking every day, all day.
“The harsh reality is, if you don’t want to love the animals and take care of the animals, you certainly should not be in business,” the neighbor said. “To be inhumane to a human or an animal is wrong.”
Bricker said these dogs will need vet care, but they will be up for adoption. They are classified as mixed breeds, but he said they appear to be Bullies or XL Bully dogs.
“it’s definitely, a sad thing for them where they were, but their story is about to change,” Bricker said. “So I’m really happy about what’s next for these dogs.”
Photos: Dozens of dogs and cats removed from Middleburg home after being surrendered to Clay County
There was also another arrest made in this case and we are working to get that report.
As for Hawkins, she is currently in custody.
Now, the shelter has an overwhelming number of animals, and they are in dire need of fosters, adopters, and volunteers. They currently have a free adoptions promotion happening right now. For more information, you can click here.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
