PETITION TARGET: Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly
A young puppy — too weak to lift her head, covered in deep wounds infested with maggots, and soaked from rain — was found curled in a muddy ditch at a Flagler County, Florida park.
Volunteer rescuers with the Saving Missing Animals Response Team (SMART) rushed the pit bull-type puppy, since named Shelly, to East Coast Animal Hospital. Veterinarians performed emergency surgery to remove dead tissue and treat severe infections from her wounds, according to FlaglerLive.
The treating veterinarian reported that the injuries “appear to be dog bites,” per the sheriff’s incident report.
Some of Shelly’s scarring was old, suggesting she suffered for a long time before being found.
Investigators with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office suspect Shelly may have been used as a “bait dog” in an illegal dog-fighting operation, as reported by FOX 35 Orlando. Authorities believe she was abandoned at the park, where she was found alone and seriously injured.
Shelly is recovering, but the person responsible has not been identified.
An innocent puppy should never be made to suffer this way. Without a thorough investigation, whoever did this may go on to harm another animal, or even a person.
Sign this petition urging the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office to use all available resources to find the individual responsible, ensure any applicable animal cruelty charges are forwarded to a prosecutor, and push for a lifetime ban on owning or being around animals for anyone involved in this cruelty.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office at 386-313-4911, Ref. Case 26-34418. SMART is offering a $6,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
