Sanford man whose 38 dogs were taken away, arrested again for selling puppies on Facebook: Prosecutors
SANFORD, Fla. - A Sanford man out on pretrial release for dozens of counts of animal abuse was re-arrested for attempting to sell puppies on Facebook, prosecutors said.
Brandon Blake, 40, who is facing multiple counts of animal neglect violated a Nov 23, 2022, pretrial release agreement stating that he was not to possess any live organisms that are not human, court records show.
Blake reportedly made two Facebook posts advertising "Belgian Malinois puppies," a detective said. That detective made an appointment with Blake to meet as a potential customer, charging documents show.
On the morning of Dec. 22, 2022, the detective met with Blake in Sanford to view the dogs. Blake took the detective to the backyard where she took pictures of the puppies for sale and also "noticed other dogs in the backyard."
Blake told the detective that the puppies were going for $1,000 each.
Blake's bond has now been revoked, and he is booked back into the Seminole County Jail.
His next hearing is on April 5, 2023.
He was originally arrested back in November after the county found four dead dogs at his home in Sanford along with 38 other dogs who were found in poor condition.
When interviewed by FOX 35 News, Blake said the situation is not as it seems. He said his company Brandon Blake — K9 Services — had fallen on hard times after Hurricane Ian and things got out of hand.
The situation unfolded when a child protective services investigator was called to Blake's home in regard to a well-being check for a juvenile after a family disturbance. The investigator saw several dogs in various states of poor health and notified the sheriff's office.
Detectives and Seminole County Animal Services went to the home and began seizing several dogs due to the "inhumane living conditions and malnourished state of health," according to the report. The detective reported finding four dogs dead in separate kennels.