But the humane society executive director was more angry than sad when she read the story of Ella, a 2-year-old German shepherd whose owner police say left her in a cage to slowly starve to death over two months. A large bag of dog food was just a few feet away.
Since FLORIDA TODAY published the story in March, Ella's death has touched people across the country -- spurring more than two dozen letters to the state attorney's office, about $600 in donations to the humane society and even a Web site in her honor.
There's also an online petition urging prosecutors to seek swift, hard prosecution against Ella's owner, Christine Dawn Abrams. The petition has drawn nearly 2,300 signatures from as far away as Thailand.
Abrams pleaded not guilty to one felony count of animal cruelty. "It's just heartbreaking," Clifton said. "I just want to know, When do the animals get justice? They can't speak, so because of that, they get abused."
Adamant that the animal's plight not be forgotten, the animal shelter has decided to name a dog-walking pathway being constructed in its backyard "Ella's Walk." They will use donations to install benches and other equipment.
Police say Abrams, 30, told them she moved out of her Cocoa home earlier this year because the water had been cut off. She said she left Ella behind because her new roommate allegedly didn't like dogs.
Andrew Stine, a West Palm Beach lawyer, said his client, Abrams, "has come under a lot of scrutiny and vicious attack," but is a law-abiding citizen with no criminal record.
That hasn't stemmed the outrage of the 1,079 people who have linked to "Voices for Ella," a page run by Ashley Gilbert on social networking site MySpace.com.
The Palm Bay woman said she offered to take over the site a couple weeks ago from an anonymous person because she didn't want to see it shut down.
"I know that her main goal with the page was to keep Ella's story alive," Gilbert said.
Prosecutors are deciding whether to file formal charges against Abrams.
Letters from as far away as Connecticut and Texas have appealed for prosecutors to pursue the maximum penalty, which would carry up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines.
But prosecutor Wayne Holmes said charges are based on the quality of evidence and laws that are set by the state legislature -- which can give citizens the perception that the court system doesn't take animal abuse cases seriously.
Felony cruelty doesn't need to involve a death, and misdemeanors can include deaths -- as became evident last year during the sentencing of Greg W. Hynes, when Circuit Judge George Maxwell reduced a jury's felony conviction to a misdemeanor because he said the statute was unclear. That case is under appeal.
Even if prosecutors decide not to file charges, Clifton said the main focus is commemorating Ella.
"She won't be forgotten like her owner forgot her," she said.
