FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — An 18-year-old Palm Coast man has been arrested after detectives say he locked a malnourished puppy in a garage without food, water or light, causing the animal to starve to death.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded July 1 to an apartment on Sunset Boulevard after residents found a severely malnourished puppy inside a locked detached garage. Animal Control removed the dog for treatment.
The Sheriff’s Office said a veterinarian determined the 10-week-old Bluetick Coonhound/Australian Shepherd mix had no pre-existing medical condition and died July 4 from organ failure caused by starvation.
Detectives identified the puppy’s owner as Chance Jones, 18, of Palm Coast. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Jones told investigators he was frequently away from home for extended periods and only fed the puppy when he returned every few weeks. Detectives said Jones brought the puppy to the apartment on June 30 and hid her in the garage because he did not want anyone to see her condition. He also told investigators he never took the puppy to a veterinarian.
Sheriff Rick Staly called the case “one of the most heartless things I’ve seen in my career.”
Jones was arrested on charges of aggravated animal cruelty and unlawful confinement of an animal. He was booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on a $3,000 bond.
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