Palatka, FL — A Florida mother has been arrested after allegedly abandoning her teenage child and seven dogs in deplorable living conditions while she went on a two-week Las Vegas vacation, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
Arrest Made Following Family Concerns
Jessica Copeland, 37, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with child and animal neglect after multiple family members contacted authorities about the teen and animals left at her home in Palatka.
The first call came on Monday from an out-of-state relative requesting a welfare check. Deputies responded to the home on 15th Ave, where they spoke with an adult outside and the teen inside. The teen reportedly told deputies “there were no issues and everything was fine,” so they left.
Later that same day, another family member contacted the sheriff’s office and shared video evidence showing three severely emaciated dogs inside the home. The same individual said he believed there was no food or running water available in the house.
“This information was not shared during the initial call,” the sheriff’s office noted in their official statement via Fox News.
Deputies Discover Filthy, Hazardous Conditions
Deputies returned to the home with an agriculture detective, where they were let inside by the teen. The earlier adult had left the property by then. What they found inside was described as horrific.
“There were layers of animal feces, garbage and debris throughout the house,” the report stated. “Multiple emaciated dogs were found inside, with no food or water in sight.”
The teenager informed deputies that Copeland had left for Las Vegas on July 21, and that “different people would come to the house to check on him and bring him food.” The teen’s exact age was not disclosed.
Sheriff Condemns “Deliberate Cruelty”
Putnam County Sheriff H.D. DeLoach didn’t mince words when describing the case:
“A mother made the conscious choice to abandon her own child in a filth-ridden home, surrounded by the stench of animal feces and suffering of neglected animals while she indulged on a two-week birthday trip to Las Vegas,” he said. “This wasn’t neglect. This was deliberate cruelty, both to her child and to the animals she left behind.”
Copeland Returns and Is Arrested On-Site
While deputies and animal control officers were on the property Tuesday morning removing the dogs, Copeland returned home—apparently unaware of the situation unfolding.
- She offered no resistance, according to bodycam footage.
- Deputies informed her the home was in “deplorable condition,” and that the animals were “on the brink of starvation.”
She was immediately placed in handcuffs and taken into custody.
Teen and Animals Now Safe
Authorities have not said where the teenager was relocated or if additional charges are expected, but all seven dogs were removed from the home. The sheriff’s office confirmed the animals are now in protective care.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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