FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Two Miami men were arrested after Flagler County deputies found two dogs and two pigeons in distress inside the cargo area of a U-Haul truck during triple-digit heat, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded to the RaceTrac at 301 Palm Coast Parkway NE after a concerned caller reported seeing a dog trying to climb out of the back of a moving U-Haul with its roll-up door partially open. The caller described the scene as “a terrible sight.”
Deputies located the truck at the gas station and spoke with the driver, 70-year-old Angel Valdes of Miami.
According to the sheriff’s office, Valdes told deputies the dogs were not in distress and “just needed water.”
When deputies opened the cargo door, they found two dogs panting heavily inside the unventilated metal box.
Investigators said a 70-pound pit bull mix was struggling to stand, while an 80-pound English bulldog was unable to stand at all.
Both dogs were lying in their own urine and had to be lifted out of the truck because they could not get out on their own.
Deputies immediately gave the dogs water, which they drank right away.
The family told deputies they were moving from Miami to Savannah, Georgia, and placed the dogs in the cargo area because their other vehicle felt too crowded.
However, deputies said they determined there was enough room in the second vehicle for both dogs.
When Palm Coast Animal Control arrived, officers determined the dogs were suffering from neglect and needed emergency veterinary care.
While inspecting the cargo area, deputies also heard chirping coming from a sealed storage container with no air holes.
Inside, they found two adult pigeons that Animal Control said were also in distress because they had no access to air or water.
Animal Control took custody of all four animals and transported them to East Coast Animal Hospital for emergency treatment.
Deputies arrested Angel Valdes and his son, 35-year-old Roy Valdes Hernandez, also of Miami, on animal cruelty charges.
Both were booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility before later being released on $500 bond.
“If you wouldn’t ride in a metal box in 102-degree heat with no air, don’t force an animal to do it,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement. “This family had room to bring their dogs up front, but chose to let them cook in the back of a U-Haul instead. Remember, if it has a heartbeat don’t leave it unattended in any vehicle, especially in the current heat wave we are having.”
The sheriff’s office is also reminding the public never to leave children or pets inside a parked vehicle during hot weather, warning that temperatures inside a vehicle or enclosed cargo space can become deadly within minutes.
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