MESA, Ariz. — A Mesa woman has been charged in court with 13 counts of animal cruelty after authorities recovered several malnourished, sickly animals from her home last year.
A criminal complaint filed this week in Maricopa County Superior Court accuses Beverly Cass, 66, of committing animal cruelty at her east Mesa residence near Brown Road and 80th Street.
According to the Mesa Police Department, officers responded to the defendant's home on Sept. 2, 2020, for reports of barking dogs. Once they arrived, officers discovered several dogs, cats, birds, a goat and a duck, a police report states.
Some of the animals were in cages, appearing dehydrated and malnourished.
"No food was seen at the residence for any of the animals," a police report states. "The defendant admitted to not having running water at the residence for three years and no air conditioning during the summer."
Officers noticed some of the caged animals had water bowls with algae floating in them.
Many of the animals had dental issues and needed to have teeth extracted, police said. A total of 11 animals eventually had to be euthanized.
Criminal charges were filed nearly a year later after veterinary records were submitted to law enforcement and provided more details of the animals' medical condition.
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