Sunny Isles Beach pet sitter charged with animal cruelty after dog's death
MIAMI - A pet sitter in Sunny Isles Beach has been charged with animal cruelty with intent to injure after two dogs left in her care had to be rushed to a veterinarian due to severe dehydration.
One died.
According to police, Patricia Guitierrez hired 19-year-old Antonella Rivoir at the end of May to take care of her five dogs and cat while she and her husband went on a month-long vacation. She was given specific instructions on how much to feed the pets and which ones needed medication.
Rivoir was to stay in Guitierrez's apartment and take care of all the pets full-time.
Guitierrez, who has several cameras inside her apartment, said she was in contact with Rivoir every day and was told her pets were fine and healthy. She would later tell police that it was weird that on some days she was unable to access the cameras in her home on her phone to see what was happening.
On June 27th, Guitierrez asked her housekeeper, Carmen Soto, to clean her apartment before she and her husband returned.
Guitierrez said Soto called her and said when she went to the apartment, there was urine and dog feces all over the floor and furniture. She said the dogs looked "sad" and appeared to have lost weight.
Soto told Guitierrez that Rivoir's boyfriend was, which was against their agreement.
Soto said she noticed two Pomeranians, 8-year-old Daisy and 13-year-old Lucy were lying on the ground stiff and unable to walk.
Rivoir and Soto took the dogs to a veterinarian in Surfside and they were immediately taken to the Veterinary Emergency Group in Aventura due to their severe condition.
There Daisy was given CPR and died shortly afterward. Lucy was able to recover.
A vet said in addition to severe dehydration, Lucy had bruises all over her body.
According to police, Rivoir and her boyfriend took off, leaving their belongings in Guitierrez's apartment. Soto stayed there until Guitierrez arrived home the next day.
Guitierrez told police that when she checked the dogs' food, less than half was used and medications they needed were not given.
Rivoir was arrested on September 21st when she went to the Sunny Isles Beach police department on an unrelated matter.
