A woman was taken into custody by Plantation police on Thursday on suspicion of severe animal cruelty. According to the police report, Ruby the dog was mistreated to the point where it had to be put to sleep.
Cheeyana Vaneus, 35, was charged by the authorities with creating a fictitious identity named “Jasmine Grant” in order to place blame for the dog’s illness elsewhere.
According to an arrest record, Vaneus’s case was taken up on April 22 when a person complained about an abandoned dog at her house in the 10800 block of Northwest Eighth Court.
According to the complaint, when an animal control officer arrived, the dog, named Ruby, was lying in a garage and “did not move” or “was unable to stand up.”
Ruby’s disability prevented her from reaching food or water bowls that were set a step above her. “Visible bruising and abrasions to both legs, with the rear left leg significantly swollen,” was the condition of the dog.
According to the police, Ruby belonged to Vaneus’s adult daughter Cheeyana, who approached the animal control officer and identified herself as her mother. She had been hurt two or three days earlier, the woman stated.
She completed an owner surrender form, providing the animal control officer with Vaneus’ cellphone information, and informed him that Vaneus had “not made any efforts to obtain medical treatment or other assistance for the dog,” according to the report.
According to the police, when the animal control officer called Vaneus, she first claimed to be Ruby’s owner and said she had a vet appointment set for that evening at six o’clock.
According to the police, when the officer called the clinic where Vaneus claimed to have scheduled the appointment, they were informed that there was no such appointment.
According to the report, Vaneus started disputing possession of the dog and insisted that it belonged to her “partner,” “Jasmine Grant,” when the officer called her back to confront her about it.
Vaneus never showed up for the scheduled meeting at the Hollywood animal hospital, according to the police.
When the officer called Vaneus the following day, she said that she and “Jasmine” would arrive to pick up Ruby. According to the police, that never occurred, and the dog was brought to the Broward County Animal Care facility.
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The officer made an unsuccessful attempt to get in touch with Vaneus to let her know that Ruby had two broken legs, as discovered by the county veterinarian. Because of the severity of the dog’s injuries, the officer told Vaneus she needed to make a medical decision and to call BCAC by the end of the business day.
According to the complaint, a civilian service aide from Plantation police visited the BCAC facility the following day and had meetings with the veterinarian and animal control officer.
According to the police, the veterinarian stated that Ruby’s injuries most likely happened one to three weeks ago and that her prognosis was poor and she needed to be put to sleep because of her pain.
When the policeman returned to the Northwest Eighth Court residence on May 5, Vaneus gave her date of birth and reiterated that the dog belonged to “Jasmine Grant,” referring to her as her “cousin.”
According to police, Vaneus provided BCAC with her own phone number, which coincided with “Jasmine Grant’s” number.
Since “no one has physically seen” “Jasmine Grant,” according to the report, and no one in the United States has the same name and birthdate, investigators came to the conclusion that she was most likely a “fictional person created by (Vaneus) to avoid responsibility for Ruby.”
Vaneus was arrested by police on Thursday on suspicion of aggravated animal abuse resulting in death.
According to jail records from the Broward Sheriff’s Office, as of Friday night, she was being held at the Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach on a $20,000 bail.
