A female vet influencer once fined for keeping a lamb in a dress is being investigated by police after they found a decapitated cat in her home.
Officers had been called to Samara Rodrigues’s property in Brazil’s Federal District, where the capital city is located, on 9th May by neighbours over a dog shut in her car in 27 degrees Celsius heat.
When police failed to raise 30-year-old Rodrigues, they broke into her home and discovered an animal house of horrors, reports local media.
As well as a headless cat, they found a maggot-infested rabbit’s body decomposing in a waste bin.
And local media reports that officers found 12 live animals being kept in shocking conditions without food or water and surrounded by their own faeces.
Eight dogs, two cats, one rabbit and one sheep reportedly had signs of abuse and were rescued by officers from the 38th Police Station of Vicente Pires.
Local media reports that all of them are recovering at animal care centres while police investigate Rodrigues.
The dog in the car, surrounded by discarded hypodermic syringes and drug ampules, died later from dehydration, say police.
Rodrigues has not yet been arrested but told local media she denies any wrongdoing.
She said: “The animals were not abandoned because I was at home at night.
“The day before, I had cleaned the house, put food out, checked on all the animals.
“There was a responsible person supposed to be at the house every day, okay?
“That person had entered the house in the morning, and they put food out for the animals.”
She went on to claim that the tip-off to police was part of a campaign against her by neighbours.
Rodrigues said: “For five years, the residents of the building behind my house have been tormenting my life, not letting me sleep in peace.
“They pursue me, hack into my accounts, film me.”
Asked about the dead rabbit she said: “I don’t know why it died. I left home in tears because it was a pet rabbit of mine.
“And then, after I cleaned everything up, I put her in the bin because it was the trash that was inside the house, and I left home to pray. Because I was grieving.”
However, her arguments were tempered by the fact that this is the second time Rodrigues has been investigated over animal cruelty.
Last year she was fined BRL 3,960 (GBP 612) after police found she was keeping a mare, its foal, a lamb wearing a dress, five rabbits, three dogs, and three cats at her veterinary clinic.
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Story By: Simona Kitanovska, Sub-Editor: Simona Kitanovska, Agency: Newsflash
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