A Volusia County woman is in jail after deputies said she left her pets to starve during Hurricane Milton. The new charges come as state lawmakers look to up the penalties for abandoning pets during declared disasters. Volusia County sheriff’s deputies said Calsie Volkers left for over a week to get away from Hurricane Milton. They would soon discover the deplorable conditions the animals were left in.Investigators say Volkers, her boyfriend and two kids left their house for more than a week to escape the hurricane. While doing so, deputies say she left six dogs, five cats, and a turtle behind in a home filled with feces and soiled pee pads. “It’s… unbelievable,” said Judy Sarullo of Pet Rescue by JudyCourt records said there was another dog, but it wasn’t alive. Deputies said neighbors, who lived in another part of the house, called them after noticing a smell from a locked room. They checked, and investigators said they noticed three of the dogs eating the body of another dog.“These are not disposable. These are your children — four-legged,” Sarullo said.Sarullo said she’s happy to know Volkers was charged.“That’s how we’re going to teach people,” Sarullo said. “What you do is what you get.”In the state legislature, Senate Bill 150 is making its way through, aimed at people who abandon restrained dogs during events like a hurricane.The legislation is named after a viral moment, a state trooper rescued an abandoned dog tied to a fence during Hurricane Milton.“In most cases, it’s just a misdemeanor. This case would make it a third-degree felony to commit extreme animal cruelty during a declared national weather disaster,” said State Sen. Don Gaetz.Judy said if you have pets, make sure you can afford them, especially during times of emergency. ‘You need to have some kind of reserve to take care of the animal that’s not an animal. It’s your family,” she said. “You have to have money. There’s a lot of places to board them when you’re away. Sometimes, you can get a friend to take them.”Volkers is facing a total of 16 charges, including illegal confinement & abandonment of animals, and cruelty of animals. She’s due back in court May 15.
A Volusia County woman is in jail after deputies said she left her pets to starve during Hurricane Milton.
The new charges come as state lawmakers look to up the penalties for abandoning pets during declared disasters.
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Volusia County sheriff’s deputies said Calsie Volkers left for over a week to get away from Hurricane Milton. They would soon discover the deplorable conditions the animals were left in.
Investigators say Volkers, her boyfriend and two kids left their house for more than a week to escape the hurricane. While doing so, deputies say she left six dogs, five cats, and a turtle behind in a home filled with feces and soiled pee pads.
“It’s… unbelievable,” said Judy Sarullo of Pet Rescue by Judy
Court records said there was another dog, but it wasn’t alive. Deputies said neighbors, who lived in another part of the house, called them after noticing a smell from a locked room.
They checked, and investigators said they noticed three of the dogs eating the body of another dog.
“These are not disposable. These are your children — four-legged,” Sarullo said.
Sarullo said she’s happy to know Volkers was charged.
“That’s how we’re going to teach people,” Sarullo said. “What you do is what you get.”
In the state legislature, Senate Bill 150 is making its way through, aimed at people who abandon restrained dogs during events like a hurricane.
The legislation is named after a viral moment, a state trooper rescued an abandoned dog tied to a fence during Hurricane Milton.
“In most cases, it’s just a misdemeanor. This case would make it a third-degree felony to commit extreme animal cruelty during a declared national weather disaster,” said State Sen. Don Gaetz.
Judy said if you have pets, make sure you can afford them, especially during times of emergency.
‘You need to have some kind of reserve to take care of the animal that’s not an animal. It’s your family,” she said. “You have to have money. There’s a lot of places to board them when you’re away. Sometimes, you can get a friend to take them.”
Volkers is facing a total of 16 charges, including illegal confinement & abandonment of animals, and cruelty of animals.
She’s due back in court May 15.
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