A routine DoorDash run in Flagler County turned into an emergency animal rescue after a driver spotted a litter of puppies and their mother gasping for air inside a stifling garage. Deputies say eight puppies and a nursing dog were stuck in a 97-degree space with little or no food or water. The homeowner, Shafaira Johnson, was arrested after the July 25 encounter.
According to FOX 35 Orlando, deputies showed up around 1:30 p.m. after the delivery driver reported seeing caged dogs through a partially open garage door. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said all nine animals were squeezed into a two-story cage, with the puppies upstairs and their mother below. Johnson allegedly refused to move the dogs into her air-conditioned home and did not give the nursing mother water until deputies ordered her a second time.
The Palm Coast Observer, citing the arrest report, noted that the puppies were about four and a half weeks old and clustered around a nearly empty water bowl. Deputies reported seeing the mother panting next to an empty bowl, and a man later arrived carrying the puppies in a cardboard box. Animal Control moved the dogs into an air-conditioned vehicle before taking custody of all nine.
Johnson Was Released After Three Misdemeanor Counts
The Flagler County Sheriff's Office inmate record lists three misdemeanor charges: tormenting or depriving an animal, confining animals without sufficient food or water, and obstructing an officer without violence. Johnson was booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Detention Facility and released later that evening after three $500 bonds were posted, for a total of $1,500. The charges are allegations, and the booking record does not represent a finding of guilt.
Another Flagler Heat Case Came Earlier This Month
The arrest follows another recent animal-cruelty case in Flagler County involving extreme heat. Earlier this month, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office reported that two dogs and two pigeons were found suffering inside a 102-degree U-Haul. Officials used that case to warn that enclosed spaces can turn deadly for animals within minutes.
