TOWN 'N' COUNTRY, Fla. — A woman was arrested on Monday after she was accused of beating a dog with a rubber mallet.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) said on May 1, they received a report about an animal cruelty incident on Halifax Drive in Town 'N' Country.
When deputies arrived, HCSO said they were given surveillance footage of Elizabeth Jaimes, 24, hitting a 9-year-old Siberian husky with a rubber mallet on the head and torso while holding her on a leash.
Jaimes was living in the house with her boyfriend and his mother, the dog's owner. She said she started to notice injuries on the dog, named Maya, around August, which was the same time Jaimes moved in.
Maya's owner put up a hidden camera to monitor what she thought was happening to the dog. The cameras then showed the abuse. HCSO said that Jaimes admitted to hitting the dog because he growled at her.
Maya was taken to the Veterinary Emergency Group, which confirmed that he had sustained multiple blunt-force head and back injuries, including spine and rib fractures, and was blind in one eye.
"The actions of Elizabeth Jaimes are reprehensible," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "No animal deserves to be treated cruelly and inhumanely, and we will not tolerate it. Our team acted swiftly to take Maya into custody and provide her with emergency medical care."
Maya was reunited with her owner after Jaimes' arrest and is recovering at home. HCSO added that the owner filed for an injunction on Jaimes.
