Florida puppy cruelty case has shocked Palm Coast after deputies said a starving dog died in a garage.
An 18-year-old Palm Coast man has been arrested after deputies said a severely malnourished puppy was found inside a locked detached garage without food or water.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to an apartment on Sunset Boulevard on July 1 after residents found the puppy and contacted authorities.
Animal Control officers removed the dog for treatment.
Investigators said the dog was a 10-week-old Bluetick Coonhound and Australian Shepherd mix.
A veterinarian found no pre-existing condition that would explain the puppy’s condition.
The puppy died on July 4.
The veterinarian attributed the death to organ failure caused by starvation, according to case details provided by deputies.
Deputies identified the puppy’s owner as Chance Jones, 18, of Palm Coast.
He has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty and unlawful confinement of an animal.
Investigators said Jones got the puppy in April and later told deputies he was often away from home for long periods.
Deputies said he admitted he fed the puppy only when he returned every few weeks.
On June 30, deputies said Jones brought the puppy to the Sunset Boulevard apartment and hid her in the garage because he did not want anyone to see her condition.
He also told deputies he never took the puppy to a veterinarian.
The case remains an allegation unless proven in court.
Jones has not been convicted of the charges.
Sheriff Rick Staly called the case one of the most heartless things he had seen in his career.
The sheriff said the puppy could not tell anyone she needed help, and that Jones chose to hide her instead of giving her basic care.
Under Florida law, aggravated animal cruelty can apply when a person’s action or failure to act causes an animal’s cruel death or repeated suffering.
Florida law also prohibits confining animals without enough food, water or exercise.
Officials have not confirmed whether anyone else lived at the apartment or heard the animal during her confinement.
It is also unclear how long the puppy was alone in the garage before neighbors found her.
The case now moves through the criminal justice system in Flagler County.