A donkey in a Winter Haven yard could not get up for days. No veterinarian was ever called. By the time Polk County deputies and state environmental officials arrived, the donkey was dead, and so were four cats. Two adult cats and three kittens were pulled from the property in extremely poor condition, and all five later died.

Melissa McKinney, 59, now faces three felony counts of animal cruelty, plus charges tied to unsanitary conditions and illegal waste dumping, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. Asked why she never got help for the donkey, she said she “hadn’t had time,” according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators say she also told them another 10 to 15 dead cats had been tossed in a dumpster. Necropsies are still pending, and more charges could follow.

“These poor animals likely could have been saved had this suspect only called someone for help,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news release.

Two dogs and a pony made it out alive. They deserve a full recovery and a safe home. The animals that died deserve accountability.

State Attorney Brian Haas and the Office of the State Attorney for Florida’s Tenth Judicial Circuit now decide how hard this case is pushed. Felony charges can be reduced or dropped in plea deals. Without a court order, there may be nothing to stop a person convicted of neglect from taking in new animals.

State Attorney Haas should prosecute every charge to the fullest extent of the law and ask the court to bar McKinney from owning, caring for, or living with animals for life. Polk County should also make sure the surviving dogs and pony receive complete veterinary care before going to vetted, loving homes.

Sign the petition now to demand full justice for these animals before this case quietly fades away.