A 31-year-old Fort Lauderdale woman is facing animal-cruelty charges after her dog was found dead, tied to a backyard fence without food, water or shelter. Raynanda Herring was arrested Wednesday on charges connected to the death of Pablo, a mixed-breed boxer she owned or cared for, according to deputies.
Herring attached a six-foot leash to Pablo's collar on October 18 and secured the other end to a fence at a home in the 2900 block of Northwest Eighth Place, according to WSVN, citing investigators. The leash's position allowed Pablo to move no more than one foot, per the arrest affidavit cited by the outlet. Broward Sheriff's Office deputies said Herring left the dog tied to that fence without food, water or shelter for days before he died.
According to deputies, Herring went to the home that same day and found that Pablo had urinated and defecated inside the residence before she removed him, per investigators. She told deputies she returned to the property around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday and found Pablo still alive — but then left him tied to the fence again without food or water, according to her own account relayed to deputies. Pablo was found dead later that evening.
What Investigators Say Led to the Arrest
Investigators said Herring contacted deputies, who advised her to contact animal control, but she never contacted animal control. The arrest affidavit states that her actions resulted in the cruel death, or excessive or repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering, of the dog. Herring was charged on October 21 with causing the cruel death, pain and suffering of an animal and with failing to provide sufficient food and water to a confined animal, the outlet's report notes.
Under Florida law, depriving an animal of necessary sustenance or shelter is classified as animal cruelty, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a $5,000 fine, imprisonment or both, according to the Florida Legislature. Conduct that results in an animal's cruel death, or excessive or repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering, rises to aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony carrying up to a $10,000 fine and possible imprisonment. The statute also allows a court to bar someone convicted under the law from owning, possessing or caring for any animal for a period the court determines.
County Guidance on Tethered Dogs
Broward County's animal-welfare guidance specifically flags the conduct described in this case as cause for concern. The county identifies failing to provide adequate shelter and clean drinking water, using a tether that is too short, and leaving a dog tied outside for long periods without adequate food or water as animal-cruelty concerns, according to Broward County.
Pablo's death adds to a string of animal-cruelty cases reported across Broward County this year. In September, a Fort Lauderdale man faced charges after five dogs were found malnourished at his home, and in April, a Broward man faced 41 charges in a case involving 14 puppies and nine adult dogs, according to Local 10. A March case in Dania Beach involved a woman accused after a dog was found dead and emaciated inside an apartment, the station also reported.
A Statewide Push for Accountability
The case comes amid a broader statewide effort to track animal-cruelty convictions, though reporting on its exact timeline conflicts. Florida statutory language cited by the Florida Legislature calls for the Department of Law Enforcement to post specified animal-cruelty conviction information by January 1, 2027, while CBS12 has reported that an online database listing people convicted of aggravated animal cruelty was slated to launch January 1, 2026. Research cited in the underlying legislation, per CBS12, links animal abuse to broader public-safety concerns, including violent crimes against humans.
