A mother appeared before a special magistrate in Lady Lake on Tuesday and demanded her teenage daughter – rather than her – should be held responsible for a pair of neglected dogs at their home.

The two dogs – Snow and Star – had been tethered and were not able to access water, Lady Lake Animal Control Officer Denise Williams testified before the special magistrate at Lady Lake Town Hall.

A pit bull named Snow has reportedly been mistreated at a home in Lady Lake.

Williams began investigating the dogs’ situation in October after an anonymous complaint was received about a pit bull tied to an oak tree without shelter. When Williams arrived at the residence at 145 E. Lemon St., she found that Snow was tied to a four-wheeler and the dog’s water bucket was toppled over. There was a pile of dog food on the ground. It was also determined that Snow did not have an up-to-date rabies vaccination.

A written warning was issued to the residents, Latasha Freeman and Dominique Pinkard, and they were ordered to correct the dog’s living condition and get the dog vaccinated against rabies within 10 days.

A second dog, Star, was later discovered in the backyard in similar living conditions. 

This dog, Star, was found tethered in the backyard of the home in Lady Lake.

Freeman protested at Tuesday’s hearing that the dogs were not her responsibility.

“These are not by dogs. I have a chihuahua. He’s a house dog,” Freeman told Special Magistrate Valerie Fuchs.

Freeman said their living situation is less than stable and admitted it had made things difficult for the dogs.

“I can barely keep a roof over my head,” Freeman said. “We have nowhere to go. Our lease is up.”

She pointed to her 19-year-old daughter, Tatiana Ellis, as the one who should be held accountable.

“She’s grown. She’s 19. Some 19-year-olds need to stand up and take responsibility,” Freeman told the special magistrate.

Ellis identified Pinkard, the other person named in the violation, as “like my father” and confirmed the dogs belonged to them. She denied that the dogs have been mistreated.

The special magistrate found that the town’s ordinances regarding the treatment of animals had been violated and ordered the situation be brought into compliance by Jan. 6.