Police: Florida women arrested, facing animal cruelty charges after 32 live dogs, 1 dead dog removed from home

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Published  December 20, 2024 3:57pm EST
FOX 35 Orlando
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The Brief

    • Two women are facing multiple animal cruelty charges after police removed 33 animals from a Florida property, police say.
    • Official documents state Kyla Rivard, 26, was arrested Dec. 18, and Heather Drass, 45, was arrested Nov. 11.
    • Reports show both women are facing charges including Cruelty to Animals, Confinement of Animals Without Food and Water, Confinement of Animals Without Exercise and Care, and Attempted Aggravated Animal Cruelty.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Police say two Florida women are facing multiple animal cruelty charges after police removed 33 animals from one of their properties.

Official reports show Kyla Rivard, 26, was arrested Dec. 18, and Heather Drass, 45, was arrested Nov. 11.

Both women are facing charges including Cruelty to Animals, Confinement of Animals Without Food and Water, Confinement of Animals Without Exercise and Care, and Attempted Aggravated Animal Cruelty, documents state.

Ocoee resident Kyla Rivard, 26, was arrested Dec. 18 for multiple animal cruelty charges. (Credit: Orange County Corrections Department)

What we know

Officers say they received a call from an anonymous person July 11, 2023, stating there were three abandoned dogs, one that may be dead, at 230 East Silver Star Road, Ocoee.

Reports show Orange County Animal Services had been to the property five days prior and did not see any dogs in distress or being neglected.

The anonymous person also told officials no one else would want to report the incident, because they were scared of the owners (Rivard and Drass), who had not been seen at their home in three days. They also said there may be more than 20 dogs inside the home with no food and water, and some dogs were being kept in the yard in large kennels. 

The report shows officers attempted multiple times to reach the owners via phone or by knocking at the door, but they were unsuccessful. Officers say they then entered an unlocked camper trailer on the property out of concern for the animals they could hear inside.

Police say they saw 18 dogs in the trailer who appeared to be in dirty conditions without clean drinking water or food. The officers said the smell of urine and feces was overwhelming, and dogs were living in wire cages stacked on top of each other.

Police also discovered two other dogs, one being dead, trapped in a shower stall, as well as 13 dogs from outside kennels. 

The dogs were assessed and treated by Orange County Animal Services, officials say.

More than 30 dogs were removed from the property of Kyla Rivard, 26. (Credit: Orange County Clerk of Courts)

Police report they then met with Marion McKloskey, Rivard's grandmother, who owns the property. After receiving permission to search the main house, officers say they discovered no dogs, but instead a bearded dragon that was cold to the touch in one of the rooms in a glass terrarium with no water. Police say the bearded dragon was removed by Orange County Animal Services for its health and well-being.

Police reports show five of the 33 animals removed from the property tested positive for canine parvovirus, which is a highly contagious disease that attacks white blood cells and the gastrointestinal tract of dogs. One of the dogs also had a severe hookworm infestation, leading to a "humane euthanasia."

The other side

Police say McKloskey told them Drass was in the hospital, which is why she may have been hard to reach. McKloskey said she believed Rivard thought Drass was having someone come and care for the dogs. 

According to reports, police were able to get in touch with Drass Aug. 3, 2023, who agreed to meet with officers at her home in Oakland, Florida. 

Drass told police she lived on the Ocoee property in the RV trailer with her four dogs and would assist Rivard with the care of the dogs.

Drass said Rivard continued to bring more dogs to the property with no place to put them, so they began to live inside the trailer, the report shows.

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Drass says she went to the hospital on July 8 or 9, 2023, and had texted Rivard stating she would not be able to take care of the dogs.

Rivard and Drass are being charged with five counts of aggravated animal cruelty. 

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The Source: The information in this article comes from the Orange County Clerk of Court's Office and was shared with FOX 35 News.