Woman faces $12,000 fine for too many pets

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla., June 4 (UPI) -- A woman who runs an informal animal shelter out of her Florida home faces more than $12,000 in fines unless she gets rid of her excess cats and dogs.

Maleka Sharay of New Port Richey, Fla., agreed to a plea Friday that sets a Sept. 1 deadline for her to find homes for all but nine animals, the St. Petersburg Times reports. That's the maximum number she can shelter without a kennel license.

When she was given the ticket in April, she had 17 cats and 16 dogs, a total of 33 animals. She has since disposed of six.

Assistant County Attorney Kristi Wooden said that the deadline was set at Sept. 1 to give Sharay time to unload the animals.

Sharay said her life is moving in a new direction, and she plans to take legal courses this fall with law school as her ultimate goal.

"They put my back up against the wall, and forced me to make decisions," she said.

But she is still baffled by the size of the fine. The fine was calculated at $500 for each animal over the limit, plus $13 in court costs.