Andrea Rosebrock 
Update 1/9/09 – Convicted of 27 Counts of Animal Cruelty, Sandra Cortes Gets 3 Years
In the beginning of July, Sandra Irene Cortes, 44, of Annandale, VA, founder of Assisi Animal Rescue Organization, and Brenda Elizabeth Dodson, 30, of Manassas, a caretaker a Assisi, we both arrested and charged with 28 counts of animal cruelty after a two month investigation of the foundation. Now they’re in trouble again.
Earlier this month, dozens of diseased and malnourished dogs were found in their custody. Some of the animals were standing in their own waste without food or water, and three dogs, abused before they died, were found buried in fresh graves.
A a search warrant at the property and found 111 animals, including 16 cats, all of which the foundation voluntarily turned over to the county, Newsome said. Many of the dogs were underweight, and showed “wounds consistent with fighting,” court records said. The foundation also was not licensed to have that many animals, he said.
Twenty dogs were discovered in 12 stacked cages pressed tightly together and covered with a blue tarp beneath a shed overhang, Newsome said. The cages — some of which contained three dogs — were ill-ventilated, without food or water, and the temperature outside was in the 70s, police said.
“They knew we were coming,” Newsome said. “They put these dogs back there . . . in an attempt to conceal” them.
Three dog carcasses were exhumed from “fairly fresh graves” in the back yard, toward the rear of the property, Newsome said. (Washington Post)
Scheduled to appear in court in August, one of the conditions of their bond was that they were to have no contact with animals.
This past week, Cortez and Dodson were arrested again and charged with two counts of grand larceny and six counts of animal cruelty after they took possession of dogs they found advertised on Craigslist.
Officers found six dogs in the home, without food or water. The floors were covered in animal urine and feces, police said. There was no power, ventilation or water service at the home, and the property was scheduled to be demolished, authorities said.
The dogs were taken to an animal shelter, where some of the owners eventually showed up to claim them.
Several owners said they had posted notices on Craigslist for temporary pet care, authorities said. Others told police they wanted to find good homes for dogs they could no longer keep. Cortes and Dodson responded to these ads and took possession of the dogs under their company’s name, Assisi Animal Rescue Organization, police said.
Police said they don’t know how long the animals were in the women’s care. When the dogs were discovered, Cortes and Dodson were free on bond. A condition of the bond was that they were not to have contact with animals. Now the bond has been revoked, and the two women are in jail. Animal cruelty is a misdemeanor that carries up to a year in jail.
Three dogs still have not been claimed, and a white pit bull puppy, Patches, is missing, investigators said. Officers said the dog may need care. Anyone with information about the animal’s whereabouts is asked to contact Crime Solvers by phone at 866-411-TIPS/8477 or e-mail at www.fairfaxcrimesolvers.org. Tipsters can also text “TIP187” plus a message to CRIMES/274637 or call Fairfax County police at 703-691-2131. (NBC4)
There is something seriously wrong with these women! Guess they wanted to seal their fate and sadly again dogs are paying their price of their cruelty, stupidity, sickness… whatever you want to call it. In early July, a number of dogs died and other had to be euthanized because they were in such poor condition and now there are dogs missing and who knows where they are or what kind of shape they are in.
One of the reasons craigslist must ban ALL live pet ads. Even the ones for rehoming.
@AIR – I couldn’t agree more Andrea!!
It’s sad that even today in this media and internet flooded society, so many people still are not aware of the dangers of scams, puppy mills, people answering “free to good home” ads for bait dogs and lab dogs and then just the twisted and sick people who answer ads for their own sick reasons.
You can only educate people who have their eyes, ears and minds open to education, knowledge and reality.
oh and i live so close to these 2 jerks!
It sounds like the conditions on the live markets they have in China for dogs and cats, when they are being sold for food. It is horrible.