A Little Good PR for the Neighborhood

Yes -- this entry's title (above) is sarcastic.

STORY: Most of the eight dogs are still considered puppies. The youngest is just five months old.

Vets say every one is infested with fleas and in dire need of medical care. But their biggest concern is wounds from abuse a neighbor said some of the animals had to endure.

"There was a grave concern from this witness who saw this person hitting his dog with a chain in the backyard," Hillsborough County Animal Control investigator Pam Perry said.

That backyard at the Seminole Heights home is familiar to animal control. Officials say they've been there many times since February, warning both Everell Forbes and Chavonne Jennings to take better care of their animals.

This time, authorities say the conditions were even worse than before. And this time, their discoveries didn't end with the dogs. They say Jennings, a convicted felon, was also hiding a handgun, drugs and kits used to make crack cocaine.

Long-time neighbor Andy Betancourt watched as the animals and their owner were taken away Tuesday afternoon, both alarmed and relieved to see it come to this.

"There's been a lot of drugs coming out from that house," Betancourt said.

The question now becomes what will happen to the dogs. So far, animal control officials say they seem healthy enough to survive.

"There's no excuse for this," Perry said. "These people knew exactly they had to do and they failed. They failed the dogs."