This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

For the past four years, a Florida man has been walking around free from the consequences of forcing 14 dogs to suffer in horrific conditions. Now Marcus Dennard Brown's evasion of justice has ended. Make him pay for the blatant neglect, torture, and deaths of the dogs and young puppies in his "care." Urge the State Attorney to deliver the long-awaited, maximum punishment for the severe mistreatment of these innocent dogs.

Brown was investigated back in 2014 following complaints made about dogs being confined. When authorities went to check on them, they found 14 dogs in dire need of help at his mother's residence in Boynton Beach, Florida, where he'd been keeping them in deplorable conditions.

Reports at the time painted a ghastly picture of the state they were found in. The shocking investigation found an emaciated mother dog with eight puppies–who were just a few weeks old–trapped in a dirty crate covered with feces and urine, and no food or water.

One of the puppies was already dead, and another was euthanized the next day to prevent further suffering. A third died the day after that. All of the dogs were reportedly filthy, malnourished and infested with internal parasites.

Two other young dogs were also left in crates covered in feces, without food or water, while one was wearing a heavy chain used for towing vehicles. Both were found to have wounds and scars that a vet report noted were consistent with injuries found in dogs fighting each other. All of the dogs were released to Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control.

Even though this was the second time Brown had been the subject of a cruelty investigation in a matter of months, it would be almost another year before an arrest warrant was issued on charges of animal cruelty. By that time, Brown was long gone.

Now, however, there's hope that justice may yet be served for these seriously abused and neglected dogs.

After evading authorities for years, Brown was finally arrested during a traffic stop on November 24, and is being held at the Palm Beach County Jail on a $27,000 bond.

While a judge ordered him not to have any contact with animals if he does get bailed out, it's time to send a message that animal abusers like Brown need more than a slap on the wrist after demonstrating such a horrifying level of depraved indifference to the pain and suffering they cause.

Florida recently strengthened its animal cruelty laws to send the message that cruelty to animals won't be tolerated and to get justice for victims in cases just like this one, which now allow for harsher sentences and give courts the ability to impose more jail time for those convicted.

Brown has been charged with nine counts of felony animal cruelty including torture to inflict pain, serious injury, or death of an animal, and four counts of misdemeanor animal cruelty including confining an animal without sufficient food or water.

Brown could face up to five years imprisonment for each of the felony charges and a fine of up to $10,000 for each of the felony charges, in addition to prison time and a fine of up to $5,000 for each misdemeanor charge.

What You Can Do:

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.