PLANTATION, Fla. – Plantation police arrested a woman on an aggravated animal cruelty charge Thursday, saying she neglected a dog named Ruby to the point that the dog eventually had to be euthanized.
Authorities accused Cheeyana Vaneus, 35, of inventing a fictional character named “Jasmine Grant” to pin responsibility for the dog’s condition on someone other than herself.
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An arrest report states that the investigation into Vaneus began on April 22 after someone reported an abandoned dog at her home in the 10800 block of Northwest Eighth Court.
An animal control officer responded and said that dog, Ruby, was laying in a garage and “did not move” and “was unable to stand up,” the report states.
Ruby, due to her condition, was unable to access food or water bowls that had been placed on a step above her. The dog had “visible bruising and abrasions to both legs, with the rear left leg significantly swollen.”
Police said a woman identifying herself as Vaneus’ mother approached the animal control officer, explaining that Ruby belonged to her adult daughter, Cheeyana, and that she had been injured two or three days prior.
She told the animal control officer that Vaneus had “not made any efforts to obtain medical treatment or other assistance for the dog” and signed an owner surrender form, giving the officer Vaneus’ cellphone number, the report states.
Police said the animal control officer called Vaneus, who initially claimed ownership of Ruby and claimed she had a veterinary appointment scheduled for 6 p.m. that evening.
The officer called the clinic where Vaneus claimed she made the appointment and was told that no such appointment existed, police said.
When the officer called Vaneus back to confront her about this, Vaneus began denying ownership of the dog and claimed it belonged to her “partner,” “Jasmine Grant,” the report states.
Police said Vaneus agreed to meet with the officer at a Hollywood animal hospital but never showed up.
The next day, the officer called Vaneus, who claimed that she and “Jasmine” would show up to retrieve Ruby That never happened, police said, and the dog was taken to the Broward County Animal Care facility.
The officer tried unsuccessfully to reach Vaneus to inform her that the county veterinarian found that Ruby had two broken legs, police said, and that she needed to contact BCAC by the end of the business day due to the severity of the dog’s injuries and need to make a medical decision.
A Plantation police civilian service aide went to the BCAC facility the next day and met with the animal control officer and veterinarian, the report states. Police said the veterinarian explained that Ruby’s injuries likely occurred one to three weeks prior and required euthanization due to her poor prognosis and suffering.
On May 5, the police employee went back to the Northwest Eighth Court home and spoke to Vaneus, who again claimed the dog belonged to “Jasmine Grant,” who she then described as her “cousin” and provided her date of birth.
Police said “Jasmine Grant”'s phone number was the same number Vaneus gave to BCAC as her own.
The report states that “no one has physically seen” “Jasmine Grant,” there is no one in the U.S. with the same name and date of birth, leading police to conclude that she was likely a “fictional person created by (Vaneus) to avoid responsibility for Ruby.”
Police took Vaneus into custody Thursday on a charge of aggravated animal cruelty causing death.
Broward Sheriff’s Office jail records show she was being held in the Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach on a $20,000 bond as of Friday evening.