A call to Flagler County deputies turned a Palm Coast gas station parking lot into an emergency animal rescue scene Thursday, after officers opened the back of a U-Haul at a RaceTrac and found two dogs and two pigeons suffering in a metal cargo area that had climbed to 102 degrees. Both dogs were lying in their own urine and struggling to stand, and the birds were shut inside a box with no air holes.
How Deputies Say They Found The Animals
According to News4JAX, it started with a caller who reported seeing a dog trying to climb out of the back of the truck. Deputies tracked the vehicle to the RaceTrac at 301 Palm Coast Parkway NE and opened the roll-up door.
Inside, they found an approximately 70-pound pit-bull mix and an about 80-pound English bulldog that could not stand. Animal control officers determined the dogs were suffering from neglect and rushed them to East Coast Animal Hospital for emergency treatment. Deputies gave the dogs water at the scene, and the pigeons were taken to the same clinic.
Arrests And The Sheriff’s Warning
The sheriff's office identified the driver as Angel Valdes, 70, and his son Roy Valdes Hernandez, 35, both of Miami. Deputies arrested them on animal-cruelty charges and booked them into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. Both were later released on $500 bond, according to News4JAX.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly used the case as a blunt reminder about Florida heat and closed vehicles, saying, “If you wouldn't ride in a metal box in 102-degree heat with no air, don't force an animal to do it.” It is a simple test, and on this day in Palm Coast, investigators say it clearly was not met.
What The Law Says
Under Florida law, carrying or confining animals in a way that causes unnecessary suffering can lead to animal-cruelty or aggravated animal-cruelty charges. Aggravated animal cruelty is a third-degree felony. The definitions and penalties are laid out in Florida Statutes Chapter 828.
A Local Pattern Of Neglect
The Palm Coast stop comes amid a string of recent animal-welfare cases in the region, with investigations recovering dozens of dogs and stretching local shelters. Earlier this month, ClickOrlando reported on a large recovery involving more than 20 dogs taken from a Central Florida home and dumped on the roadside. Another case, detailed in Palm Coast puppy found starved, describes a July 8 incident in which a puppy died after being locked in an unventilated garage.
In this latest case, the sheriff's office credited the caller with prompting the rescue and said photos and body-worn camera footage from the stop were uploaded to its evidence system. Information on two other adults in the vehicle was forwarded to the State Attorney's Office for review.
Anyone who sees an animal in distress can contact the Flagler County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line at (386) 313-4911 or dial 9-1-1 in an emergency.
