Lake Wales Man Sentenced for Animal Cruelty in Neglect Case
Maurice Owens, a 46-year-old man from Lake Wales, has been sentenced to 364 days in Polk County Jail after being found guilty of animal cruelty for starving and neglecting a dog named Queen. The dog has since recovered and been…
Tampa St. Petersburg, FL, August 13, 2026 —
Maurice Owens, 46, of Lake Wales, has been sentenced to 364 days in Polk County Jail following a conviction for animal cruelty. The charges stem from the starvation and neglect of a dog, formerly known as Queen.
Owens was found guilty of the charges related to the dog’s condition. The sentence was handed down by the court after the conviction. The specific details leading to the discovery of the animal’s neglect and the timeline of events were not provided.
The animal, a dog identified as Queen, was found to be severely neglected and underfed. Following intervention and rescue, the dog has since recovered and has been renamed Sophia. Information regarding the parties involved in the rescue or the exact date of the sentencing was not detailed in the provided summary.
The Polk County Jail sentence is just under the maximum one-year term. No further details regarding probation, fines, or other potential penalties were included in the summary of the case.
Story summarized from the original created by Brian McBride on www.tampabay28.com, see more information here.
