Susan Abrams Dannelly

Susan Abrams Dannelly has served as the Assistant State Attorney of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of the State of Florida since 1978. Susan is known as a tough prosecutor of murder and rape cases, but she has also worked hard to gain convictions in heinous animal cruelty cases. Susan served as an original member on the Board of Directors of Miami’s Adopt a Pet program for 26 years, and it was here that Susan became aware of extreme animal cruelty cases. During that time, there were almost no prosecutions for animal cruelty in her jurisdiction. Inspired, Susan set out to make sure her community would have a greater awareness of and involvement in seeking justice for abused animals.

This movement has grown considerably since then; last year, Susan secured the high-profile conviction of a man who had been engaging in the staging of pit bull fights. Juan Carlos Olivero organized a dog fight that resulted in the deaths of at least 7 dogs. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, a very significant sentence.

The Miami Herald has described Susan as “a passionate advocate of animals’ rights.” Susan notes that it has been a very encouraging part of her professional and personal experiences to see that people in her community are now reacting to the horrendous crimes against animals and participating in the prevention of these atrocities.