FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A St. Lucie County judge ruled that a Fort Pierce couple will not regain custody of all 51 French bulldogs seized from their home due to neglect and mistreatment.
Judge Edmond Alonzo ruled that Aimee Cabo Nikolov and Boris Nikolov will only get five of the dogs back, and all but one must be spayed or neutered. The owners, who value the dogs at more than $1 million, plan to appeal the decision.
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Animal control officers removed the 51 dogs from the couple's South Indian River Drive home in October of last year, according to court records. Investigators claimed the dogs were living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.
Video and pictures shown in court documented that some of the dogs were sick and many were kept in cages surrounded by their own feces and urine. Officers also found the owners did not have proper health records or a required breeder's license.
The city of Fort Pierce caps the number of animals allowed on residential properties at five. During the hearing, it was noted that Cabo Nikolov previously admitted she did not know how many dogs were in the house.
"The sheer number of animals and the breeding practices of the respondents created an untenable situation," Alonzo said.
In court, the owners argued they were not selling the dogs but were trying to improve the breed. They claimed they operated as a rescue or charity, often gifting the dogs they bred at a "rescue" or "shelter" price.
I told Cabo Nikolov it is hard to imagine someone breeding so many dogs without some kind of monetary benefit.
"Well because USDA law says as long as you're improving the breed and not selling them then you don't need to be licensed to be legal about it," Cabo Nikolov said.
The couple insisted the dogs were healthy and properly cared for. They claimed in court the evidence was fabricated and that family members who contacted investigators had a personal vendetta.
I asked Cabo Nikolov if she knew there was an ordinance limiting the number of dogs to five in one house.
"Yes, we did. But to say it was too many dogs and we were overwhelmed, they didn't show one video, not one picture of any dirt or any dog looking sick at the time of seizure," Cabo Nikolov said.
Animal advocates strongly disagreed with the owners, pointing to clear signs of neglect. Animal advocate Susan Hargreaves cited specific health issues.
"The intestinal worms, the parasites, the two cases of parvo is from overcrowding in unhealthy situations and not clean air,” Hargreaves said.
"We all know this is wrong. So I believe the judge was attempting to be fair but in this particular case, one dog returned to people who have been proven to be neglectful, harmful is too many," Hargreaves said.
Cabo Nikolov said she is not deterred by the ruling and plans to move to South Carolina to continue breeding.
"I plan to continue my dream, yes. We're not criminals, we haven't abused dogs, we don't plan to, but we have experienced injustice," Cabo Nikolov said.
"Today was not a day of justice," Cabo Nikolov said.
The Nikolovs will have to reimburse the city for the care and sheltering of the seized dogs. The cost is already estimated to exceed $100,000.
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