Jaimes was sentenced to nearly six years of incarceration. This sentence also includes mandatory anger management, a three-year probation period following her release, registration on an animal abuser registry, and a lifelong ban from contact with animals.
Husky Maya
The safe living situation for Maya, a nine-year-old husky, began
unraveling when her guardian noticed recurring, severe injuries that
baffled everyone involved except the perpetrator. These injuries,
which persisted for months, left her family searching for answers.
It wasn’t until May 2023, after a veterinarian recommended
installing hidden surveillance, that the truth came to light through
disturbing footage capturing the acts of cruelty inflicted by
Elizabeth Jaimes, who was living with her then boyfriend and his
mother who made up Maya’s family in Tampa, Florida.
The video was harrowing to watch and it left me and our team deeply
shaken!
The footage showed Jaimes striking Maya with a rubber mallet. Maya
was off-screen, but you can hear her distressed cries of pain and
fear. Each swing of the mallet, and each cry from Maya, made us
flinch with the stark reminder of the cruelty animals can face.
While the evidence was crucial for our legal pursuit, watching it
was extremely difficult, and the only consolation was knowing it
would play a pivotal role in seeking justice for Maya.
Image of the perpetrator holding the mallet
After a thorough investigation, which suggested that the abuse might
have started as early as October 2022, Jaimes was arrested and
charged with aggravated cruelty to animals with a weapon — a
second-degree felony.
Thanks to the vigorous prosecution by the 13th District State
Attorney Susan Lopez and the support of over 15,000 In Defense of
Animals advocates, Jaimes was sentenced to nearly six years of
incarceration. This sentence also includes mandatory anger
management, a three-year probation period following her release,
registration on an animal abuser registry, and a lifelong ban from
contact with animals.
This outcome marks a rare and necessary victory in our ongoing fight
against animal cruelty. It underscores the importance of our
collective vigilance and advocacy, ensuring that perpetrators of
such vile acts face the full weight of the law.
As I want to thank you for always coming through to help animals in
need. Your signatures, calls, social media posts, and contributions
enable us to keep fighting for justice and provide education on
animal welfare. Please consider making a donation to help us carry
on this critical work.
Thank you for your unwavering support and for standing alongside us
as we advocate for those whose cries for pain and fear so often go
ignored. Together, we can prevent tragedies like Maya’s and ensure a
safer world for all animals.