Nearly four weeks after a dog was abandoned in a crate outside a Jacksonville church, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is asking for help identifying the person who left it there. The animal had no food or water, was found covered in its own feces three days later, and was so malnourished that it is now undergoing an extensive recovery.
In its Wednesday, July 29, Wanted Wednesday appeal, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said the pictured vehicle pulled into a parking space at a church off Philips Highway on July 1, dropped the crate out of the car and drove away. The case is listed under reference number CCR#2026-392226.
Church Employee Found The Dog Three Days Later
A church employee discovered the dog on July 4, according to the sheriff's office. An animal-cruelty examination found the dog was extremely malnourished, while investigators said it had been left without basic care and covered in waste.
The public appeal does not identify the dog's breed, owner or current treatment location. Investigators are seeking anyone who recognizes the vehicle or knows who may have been responsible for leaving the crate behind.
Florida Law Allows Animal Cruelty Charges
Florida law makes it a first-degree misdemeanor to deprive an animal of necessary sustenance or shelter. More serious conduct that causes a cruel death or excessive or repeated unnecessary pain can be charged as aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony, under Florida's animal-cruelty statute.
No arrest or criminal charge was announced in the public appeal. The case comes after another Jacksonville animal-cruelty investigation ended with a guilty plea earlier this month, when a woman admitted to aggravated cruelty in the death of a severely starved Great Dane, as detailed in a recent local case.
How To Submit Information
Anyone with information can call the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500 or email [email protected], according to the agency's crime-tips page. Anonymous tips and possible rewards can be submitted through First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS, or by referencing case CCR#2026-392226 when contacting investigators.
