Mom Allegedly Left Child and 'Emaciated' Dogs in Feces-Strewn Home While She Took Trip to Vegas By Nicole Acosta

A Florida mother was arrested after authorities allege she left her child and seven dogs living in a feces-strewn home for two weeks while she vacationed in Las Vegas.

Jessica Copeland, 37, was booked into the Putnam County Jail on one count of child neglect, three counts of felony animal neglect and four counts of misdemeanor animal neglect on Tuesday, Aug. 5, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and online jail records.

On Monday, Aug. 4, the sheriff’s office said deputies were called Copeland’s home in Palatka, Fla. — a city located about 60 miles south of Jacksonville — after a family member called for a welfare check on a teenager living there.

When deputies responded to scene, they encountered an adult outside the home who told them he was cleaning before Copeland came home from a trip, per a sheriff’s office statement shared on Facebook.

“The teenager came outside and told deputies there were no issues and everything was fine,” the post reads. “Deputies cleared the call having no information to enter the home.”

According to the sheriff’s office, deputies returned later that day when another family member called, claiming he had “video of dogs being abused inside the home.” The family member reportedly showed the video of “three severely emaciated dogs” to investigators and said he believed there was no running water or food in the house, per the statement.

The sheriff’s office said they weren’t made aware of the alleged animal abuse when they first responded to the home. The teenager let deputies inside the home, where they claim they saw “vile living conditions, [including] layers of animal feces on the floor.”

They also allegedly saw “garbage and debris littered throughout and several emaciated dogs without food and water,” the statement reads.

While speaking with deputies, the teenager claimed Copeland left two weeks earlier, on July 21, to “go on vacation in Las Vegas,” and that different people would come to the house to check on him and bring him food, per the post.

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The sheriff’s office said seven dogs were found inside the home, four of which were “locked in a bedroom covered in about four inches of feces.” A fifth dog spotted in a cage was “severely emaciated.” The rest of the dogs were in the living room also surrounded by feces. All of the dogs allegedly did not have adequate food or water, according to the sheriff’s office.

The teen allegedly told investigators that the living conditions had been that way “for years” because “Copeland maintains it that way and refuses to clean,” per the post.

In body-camera footage shared by the sheriff’s office, Copeland is confronted by a deputy about the “deplorable” living conditions and she says she “just got back from vacation.” After the deputy says he has to arrest her, she complies, the footage shows.

Sheriff H.D. “Gator” DeLoach said “the depravity of this situation is both heartbreaking and infuriating.” He added, “This wasn’t neglect. This was deliberate cruelty, both to her child and to the animals she left behind.”

According to the sheriff’s office, the dogs were given to Putnam County Animal Services and upon rehabilitation, will be available for adoption.

Online jail records show Copeland is being held on $36,000 bond. It’s unclear if she has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on her behalf.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.