Crime & Safety

6 Days Jail Time for Woman Who Abandoned Dogs

The woman had moved out of her Deerfield home in 2012, leaving two dogs behind.

A woman who abandoned two dogs in her Deerfield home in 2012 will spend six days in jail after pleading guilty to attempted aggravated cruelty to an animal, according to an article in TribLocal.

Debra J. Jaffe, 43, who now lives in Niles, will also have to pay court costs, nearly $2,000 in veterinarian bills and donate $1,500 each to two Lake County animal shelters, the article says.

Read the earlier Patch article about Jaffe’s arrest

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In November 2012, a neighbor of Jaffe’s former home in Deerfield told police she had moved out some time ago and left one or two dogs in the home.

Police came to the home and saw two small dogs inside, one of which did not respond to knocks on the door. Police forced their way in to tend to the dogs. Once inside the house, police found no food or water for the dogs and animal waste through the building.

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One dog was dead and the other in need of medical attention. A vet was contacted to take care of the animals.

The TribLocal story says that one of the responding officers, Sgt. Juan Mazariegos, adopted the surviving dog, which died about a year ago of organ failure.


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