MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Gail Giustino pleaded no contest Tuesday to two animal abuse charges in what officials call Martin County's worst animal hoarding case, a case that began with the rescue of more than 100 animals from a property near Hobe Sound.
Giustino, a 77-year-old mail carrier, will serve two years of probation and is prohibited from having any contact with animals. A no-contest plea means she did not admit guilt but chose not to fight the charges at trial.
WATCH BELOW: Martin County animal hoarding case ends in no contest plea
Attorney Josh Deckard addressed the sentence outside the Stuart courthouse.
"While there was no jail time imposed, my client is required to be on probation for a period of two years … the most important caveat that she has to follow is that she has no contact with any animals," Deckard said.
The judge also ordered Giustino to undergo a mental health evaluation and follow any recommended treatment. Violating probation could mean up to two years in county jail.
A total of 108 animals were rescued from the property. Tish Ott, who adopted one of those animals — a dog named Gracie Anne — described the conditions the animals were living in.
"No air conditioning, bad ventilation, lots of fecal matter everywhere," Ott said.
WPTV was there when Ott first met Gracie, and Ott has since adopted her, nursing her back to health and documenting every step on Facebook.
"When I saw her, she had such a look of hopelessness in her eyes, and the moment that I saw that, I just felt that I needed to step up," Ott said. "Now she sleeps in my bed, she's carried around in a snuggle bag 20 hours a day — and as you can see, she's got hope, and she's gorgeous."
Ott reflected on what the animals endured.
"No animal deserves to ever, ever live in a situation like that," Ott said.
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