- Florida, USA -
On Wednesday, July 28, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) received a call from a member of the public who reported that he thought he heard birds chirping in a U-Haul truck at Harbor Freight parking lot off Palm Coast Parkway.
Flaglerlive identified the caller as Anthony Duncan, a retired cop.
The caller also reported that when the female occupant of the vehicle opened the liftgate, he saw numerous dogs, cats, and puppies who were in distress.
The witness added that all the animals were panting with their tongues out and then the female started spraying the dogs with water.
The sheriff’s office said in a news release that the witness then told the female to get the dogs out of the vehicle and not to leave the scene and contacted the FCSO for assistance.
The first responding deputy found the animals in the back of the U-Haul without proper airflow.
The puppies were severely dehydrated, with matted fur, and were covered in feces.
The sheriff’s office said that the deputy, the witness, and owners of the animals pulled the animals out of the truck, placed them in cages, poured water on them and gave them drinking water.
In total, there were 13 dogs and 4 cats in the truck.
Flaglerlive reports that the deputy said: “As soon as I stepped in the back of the U-Haul to help get the animals out, I felt as if I was stepping into a sauna and I could smell the odor of feces.”
The deputy saw a water bucket in the U-Haul truck, close to the entrance of the liftgate, but no water in any cages with the animals and further observed that cats had wet food while the rest of the animals did not have any food.
The Palm Coast Fire Department (PCFD) also responded to assist with cooling off the animals and confirmed that the furbabies were not properly taken care of due to their appearance and matted fur.
According to the news release, “Animal Control stated the animals were extremely dehydrated and advised if the animals stayed inside the U-haul any longer they would have died. The animals were taken into custody by Animal Control and brought to a veterinarian for further medical evaluations.”
Sheriff Rick Staly said: “Here is a great example of ‘see something, say something’ and these animals only had minutes to spare.”
On the scene the deputy questioned 23-year-old SHAWNA MICHELLE DOUD and 29-year-old JASON RAPHAEL DONELLAN-SPARKS (both pictured below), of Kittles Street in Mims, Florida.
They said they had left Tennessee in the morning of the day before with their dogs.
The pair were placed under arrest, transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and charged with animal cruelty.
Online records show they were released a few hours after their arrest on a $5,000 bond.
Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from official news outlets. Links included.
Details may be removed or additional information may be provided in future should such sources report an update.
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