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TOWN 'N' COUNTRY, Fla. (WPEC) — A woman was arrested after deputies recovered video of her beating a dog with a rubber mallet.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) said dispatch received a call on Monday, reporting an animal cruelty incident at a home near the Tampa area.
When deputies arrived, they were given surveillance footage of Elizabeth Jaimes, 24, holding a 9-year-old Siberian Husky "Maya" with a leash and repeatedly striking the dog with a rubber mallet on the head and torso.
Investigators believe the abuse began as far back as October 2022. Since then, Maya has experienced numerous episodes of abuse, which have led to permanent damage. After being brought to the Veterinary Emergency Group, staff said Maya had multiple blunt-force head and back injuries, including spine and rib fractures, and was blind in one eye."
Jaimes was living in the home with her boyfriend and his mother, who are Maya's owners. The sheriff's office said they were starting to notice Maya was receiving injuries around August when Jaimes moved in and, at the request of her veterinarian, installed a hidden camera in her home to see what was happening to the dog.
The sheriff's office said Jaimes admitted in an interview to hitting the dog because she had growled at her.
At this time, the sheriff's office said Maya was reunited with her owner and is recovering at home. The owner has filed an injunction on Jaimes.