PALM COAST, Fla. – A Palm Coast woman is accused of abandoning her three children at a hospital — allegedly angry over a dead dog — while deputies say more than 40 animals were living in squalid conditions at her home.
Sandra Teague is currently in the Flagler County Jail facing child neglect charges, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators say the case unfolded when Teague pulled up to AdventHealth Palm Coast, ordered her three teenagers out of the car and drove away, telling them she was “done with them” and blaming them for the death of one of her dogs.
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Deputies say the teens — ages 13, 14 and 17 — were left barefoot outside the hospital. Two were found on hospital grounds, while a third was located walking along a busy road, reportedly trying to make it home on foot.
One of the teens told deputies Teague loves her dogs more than her children and frequently locks them out of the house at night.
Deputies then went to Teague’s home, where they say they found her on the front porch babysitting a 5-month-old infant surrounded by flies. She again told deputies she was done with her children, saying they don’t listen and won’t do their homework.
Investigators noted the front porch smelled strongly of feces and what they described as potentially dead animals. After observing signs of animal neglect outside the home, deputies obtained a search warrant.
On the property, deputies found 44 living dogs, three pigs, one cat and one snake. They also discovered multiple dead animals inside kennels and feces throughout the house.
Teague currently faces child neglect charges. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation is ongoing and additional charges related to animal neglect are possible.