A 23-year-old Naples woman is facing a felony aggravated animal cruelty charge after deputies and animal control officers found her dog, Sparkle, dead inside an outdoor cage that had been wired shut. It took responders more than 30 minutes just to pry the enclosure open and recover the two-year-old black female terrier bully, whose death investigators say bore the marks of extreme heat and neglect.
According to the Collier County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a residence on 43rd Street Southwest on June 27 after a report of a deceased dog. Jessica Deshomme was identified as Sparkle's legal owner. Neighbors told investigators that Sparkle had been locked inside the cage day and night countless times for months, through all types of weather, per the sheriff's office account.
A necropsy determined that Sparkle's death was consistent with acute heat stress or hyperthermia associated with confinement without access to water, the sheriff's office reported. Investigators also identified gastrointestinal hemorrhage as a contributing or potentially independent factor in her death. The sheriff's office says Sparkle had been confined inside the cage without food, water, or any protection from the Florida summer heat.
Extreme Heat Meets Zero Shelter
The timing places Sparkle's death squarely within Naples' most punishing stretch of weather. Late June in Naples typically brings daily highs near 88°F to 92°F, with humidity pushing heat index values above 100°F, according to Matt Brown Real Estate — conditions that create extreme risk of fatal hyperthermia for any animal trapped without shade or water.
Those conditions run directly counter to Collier County's own rules for outdoor pets. County code explicitly bars owners from tethering an animal outside during periods of extreme weather, including extreme heat, according to PETA. Separately, county animal care regulations require that any outdoor enclosure provide continuous access to clean water, shelter, shade, and dry ground, as reported by the Naples Daily News.
Interview, Arrest, and Surrendered Ownership
Detectives with CCSO's Animal Cruelty Investigations Alliance interviewed Deshomme on September 1. She was arrested following that interview and booked into the Naples Jail Center the same day. During the process, Deshomme relinquished all ownership rights in Sparkle to Collier County Domestic Animal Services.
The sheriff's office post reported Deshomme's arrest in connection with the investigation.
What the Felony Charge Could Mean
Under Florida Statute Section 828.12(2), aggravated animal cruelty is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to The Florida Senate. Florida law also mandates that anyone convicted of felony aggravated animal cruelty involving intentional torture or torment pay a minimum fine of $2,500 and complete court-ordered psychological counseling or anger management treatment, per Goldman Wetzel.
The Animal Cruelty Investigations Alliance handled Sparkle's case. The sheriff's office account provides no further details about the alliance's other cases.
How to Report Suspected Abuse
The sheriff's office is asking anyone with information about suspected animal crimes to report it. Anonymous tip options are not specified.
