Dog, cat died; Collier agency tries to ban woman from having more pets

Collier County Domestic Animal Services last week filed a petition in court to keep a North Collier woman from caring for any more pets after deputies said she tried to kill a cat and dog.

Collier Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a call about a distressed person at a home southwest of Bonita Beach Road and U.S. 41 on June 14. Deputies called Domestic Animal Services when they saw a dog and a cat in "critical condition," according to a petition for hearing filed July 10 in Collier County court.

The Sheriff's Office did not provide an incident report for the call, citing a Florida statute that protects the confidentiality of records pertaining to mental health.

The petition states Laurie Taft, 58, told deputies she thought her pets were dead because she had injected them with insulin the previous day "so that they could all be together."

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Deputies found the dog and cat lying unresponsive on the bed and barely breathing, the petition states. One of the deputies took the pets to Bonita Veterinary Hospital, where they eventually had to be euthanized because they had "little to no likelihood of recovery."

Another cat — uninjured — was found in Taft's home, and Domestic Animal Services took custody of it, the petition states. 

On June 26, Taft contacted DAS to ask whether she could have the cat back, but staff told her she could surrender the pet or DAS would petition the court for custody.

Taft at first agreed to surrender the cat but changed her mind and told a DAS supervisor that she wanted to go to court because someone broke into her home and injected her dog and cat with insulin, the petition states. 

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According to DAS, Taft got another cat. The agency plans to petition the court for custody of the pet.

DAS is asking a judge to find Taft "unable or unfit" to have pets in her care.

Taft could not be reached to comment.

A hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Aug. 1 at the Collier County Government Center in East Naples.