A Florida woman was sentenced to more than five years in prison on Friday after being captured on video torturing a Husky.
Elizabeth Jaimes admitted to beating the dog with a rubber mallet. She was seen on a hidden camera beating Kimberly Johns’ husky, Maya.
The veterinarian, suspecting abuse, suggested setting up a camera
According to prosecutors, Jaimes moved into a Tampa home with her boyfriend, his mother, and his mother’s dog in August 2022. Prosecutors and Johns urged the judge to punish Jaimes for assaulting the dog, according to Fox 13.
“What she did to Maya for 151 days, my dog lived in fear,” Johns said during the sentencing hearing. “It’s a living thing and she just abused her and abused her, over and over.”
Maya was a healthy dog when Jaimes moved in, but soon after, Johns noticed cuts on her head and took her to the vet, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
Maya returned to the veterinarian about a month later with a twisted toenail. A month later, the dog needed six staples in her head. A few days later, Maya returned to the veterinarian because she was having difficulty walking.
The veterinarian, suspecting abuse, suggested that Johns set up a camera to record what was happening to Maya.
“Not counting the ongoing abuse starting from August of 2020, the defendant struck Maya 38 times with a mallet and 26 additional strikes,” prosecutor Karry Becker told the judge.
The veterinarian who examined Maya stated that the husky suffered fractured ribs and spinal injuries and that several of the dog’s bones had been broken and re-broken after healing, implying that mistreatment occurred before the incident was seen on tape.
Maya is currently well, however she has been transported to the veterinarian for further treatment for her serious injuries.
“I think it’s a miracle that Maya’s alive,” Dr. Jerika Brooks, Lead Shelter Veterinarian for the Pet Resources Center, said during the hearing.
Jaimes urged mercy, stating she suffers post-traumatic stress disorder previously being abused herself. She also stated that she did not remember the abuse of Maya that was caught on tape.
“I don’t remember what I did that day, and I’ve been going to therapy because I’ve never done anything like that. I’ve never put my hands on anybody, but that doesn’t excuse it. So I just wanted to apologize,” Jaimes said.
Prosecutors and Johns do not believe Jaimes felt remorse for beating Maya.
“One of us wouldn’t get away with it with a human, and she shouldn’t get away with it with an animal,” Johns said.
“I’ve been a prosecutor for almost 20 years, and I personally have never had a case that’s been this egregious,” Hillsborough State Attorney Suzy Lopez said. “The crime was appalling. It was shocking. And, of course, the fact that it was captured on video made it even worse. So the judge was able to see what it is that Miss Jaimes did to Maya. In Hillsborough County, animal cruelty will not be tolerated.”
