Daytona Beach, FL - The man who kept a female American Staffordshire Terrier mix in deplorable conditions will spend 90 days in jail. A judge sentenced 55-year-old Todd Nordman today (January 30)
Nordman and 9-year-old Red had been living in a house on Derbyshire Road in Daytona Beach but when the owner died, a relative came to take possession of the home. On February 4, 2019, a Sheriff's deputy responded to assist with an eviction. He contacted Animal Services out of concern for a dog inside the house. They got a search warrant and found Red, with one end of the chain tied to her collar with a padlock and the other end attached to a couch. The house was piled high with garbage, broken furniture and other assorted debris.
Animal Services staff reported that the stench of feces and ammonia inside the house was overwhelming and walls were covered with a
brown residue and sticky to the touch. Red was covered with fleas and the house was infested with rats, insects and rotting food inside a refrigerator and freezers that didn’t work. The debris was stacked so high that officers were unable to enter some of the rooms.
Red was taken to Halifax Humane Society for treatment. In the veterinary services director's report, “By knowingly allowing Red to go without treatment for multiple issues and housing her in substandard conditions, she suffered unnecessarily and was neglected.”
Besides serving 90 days in jail, Nordman is not allowed to own a dog for five years. Volusia County’s animal services director, Adam Leath, said he was pleased that the criminal justice system worked to help protect Red from any further harm. “Volusia County Animal Services would like to thank the 7th Judicial Circuit of the State
Attorney’s Office for its relentless pursuit of justice for the dog in this case,” said Leath.
Red is currently being fostered but she is available for adoption. Anyone interested in adopting Red or any other dog should call the Humane Society at
386-274-4703. Anyone who sees a pet in need or suspects abuse or neglect is occurring is asked to call Volusia County Animal Services at 386-248-1790.
