A hidden camera tucked inside an electrical outlet in a bathroom at Dog Dayz Inn, a pet daycare and boarding facility near New Smyrna Beach, has led to the arrest of the business's 59-year-old owner on 21 felony counts. Employees discovered the device on September 5, and the investigation led to a search warrant, criminal charges, and the discovery of video files on Hemphill's phone.
Donald Hemphill, who owns Dog Dayz Inn, was arrested on 10 counts of digital voyeurism and 11 counts of video voyeurism of a child, according to the Volusia Sheriff's Office. The facility sits on a three-acre, cage-free property at 1765 Edgewater Canal Road, according to the sheriff's office. Detectives with the agency's Child Exploitation Unit handled the search warrant execution, underscoring the seriousness with which investigators treated the allegations.
Detectives said they found several video files saved on Hemphill's phone, including footage that showed several females in various stages of undressing. At least one of the videos reportedly included a child. Hemphill allegedly told deputies he had installed the camera four to five months earlier, though it remains unclear exactly how many people may have been recorded during that span or whether additional footage exists beyond what was found on the seized device.
Business Records and a Claimed Law Enforcement Past
Dog Dayz Inn LLC is registered as an active Florida limited liability company at the Edgewater Canal Road address, according to Florida Division of Corporations filings. Promotional material on the business's own website describes Hemphill as a 23-year veteran K9 police officer from Illinois, a detail that stands in stark contrast to the allegations he now faces.
Following his arrest, Hemphill was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail and is being held without bond, the sheriff's office said. Dog Dayz Inn has been closed until further notice, and the business asked customers with dogs currently boarding at the facility to call for updates, as reported by FOX 35 Orlando. It remains unclear how pet owners with animals still at the facility will retrieve them while Hemphill remains in custody.
What Florida's Voyeurism Law Covers
Florida amended its statutory language effective October 1, 2024, identifying the offense as digital voyeurism under Florida Statute ยง 810.145, according to Online Sunshine, the state's official legislative resource. The statute is cited in connection with the hidden-camera allegations.
The case also includes allegations involving a child, according to the sheriff's office.
A Business With Local Ties
Before the arrest, Dog Dayz Inn had built relationships within the Volusia County community, including offering complimentary bath and trim services for animals adopted through the Southeast Volusia Humane Society. Those partnerships now sit alongside the criminal allegations as the facility's future remains uncertain.
The sheriff's office reported Hemphill's arrest and charges. He is currently being held without bond at the Volusia County Branch Jail as the investigation continues.
