Police: Man charged with unlawful confinement of animals in 'inhumane' conditions, dogs euthanized

A Boynton Beach man has been charged with the unlawful confinement of animals after Animal Control officials were forced to euthanize two seven-month-old pit bulls kept in “deplorable, inhumane” conditions at his home, according to the Boynton Beach Police Department.

Two of three pit bulls owned by 25-year-old Billy Taylor, named Bonnie and Clyde, were euthanized after they were confined in an open back porch in what Animal Control Officer Liz Roehrich called "unsanitary" open wire crates, secured with key-locked padlocks.

“A putrid stench of feces and urine permeated the porch and surrounding grass. Flies swarmed the area,” Roehrich describes in an affidavit. “No available food and water was present and each crate contained overturned bowls that were soiled with feces.”

Roehrich said both crates also contained feces smeared on the bottom, and urine stained the concrete underneath the animals. A third adult dog, a black pit bull, was confined in a chain-link kennel in the backyard of the North Atlantic Drive home.

According to the affidavit, Roehrich was responding to an initial investigation made by the Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control and the Boynton Beach Police Department on July 17. She was joined by a Boynton Beach police officer shortly after her arrival on July 26.

Roehrich said Taylor later arrived at the residence, argumentative and not concerned about the “deplorable conditions” of the dogs. She said Taylor stated he did not have enough time to correct the violations that had been observed in mid-July.

According to the affidavit, Roehrich said Taylor did not keep the dogs inside his home because “they were his alarms in case someone came around the property.”

The two juvenile pit bulls were seized and brought to the Boynton Beach Animal Shelter, and placed in two separate kennels with food, water and bedding. Roehrich said both dogs immediately ate all the food and drank the majority of the water.

Both dogs were subsequently transferred to Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control for evaluation and housing. The animals were later deemed unfit for adoption because they contracted an upper respiratory illness and were euthanized on August 4.

Taylor was given the opportunity to relinquish custody of the third pit bull, but he refused to do so, according to the affidavit report. Roehrich then issued a 10-day warning to provide proof of a current rabies vaccination and license tag.

Roehrich stated in the affidavit report that prior to leaving, Taylor said, “Y’all just want to take all my dogs.”