PALM COAST, Fla. – Two Miami men were arrested after deputies found two dogs and two pigeons in distress inside the metal 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 Northeast after a caller reported seeing a dog attempting 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 contacted the driver, 70-year-old Angel Valdes of Miami. According to investigators, Valdes told deputies the dogs were not in distress and “just needed water.”
Deputies observed two dogs pressing their noses through a gap beneath the cargo door. When the door was opened, they found a 70-pound pit bull mix and an approximately 80-pound English bulldog inside the enclosed cargo area.
Authorities said both dogs were panting heavily and lying in their own urine. The pit bull mix struggled to stand, while the bulldog was unable to stand at all. Deputies removed the dogs from the truck and gave them water, which they immediately drank.
Investigators said the family was moving from Miami to Savannah, Georgia, and claimed they placed the dogs in the cargo area because their other vehicle was too crowded. Deputies determined there was enough room in the second vehicle for both dogs.
Palm Coast Animal Control responded and determined the dogs were suffering from neglect and required immediate veterinary care.
While inspecting the cargo area, deputies heard chirping coming from a closed storage container with no ventilation. Inside, they found two adult pigeons, which Animal Control also determined were in distress due to a lack of air and water.
Both dogs and the pigeons were taken into custody by Animal Control and transported to East Coast Animal Hospital for emergency treatment.
Deputies arrested Angel Valdes and his son, 35-year-old Roy Valdes Hernandez, both of Miami, on charges of animal cruelty.
The two men were booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and later released after each posted a $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. “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 Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is reminding residents that temperatures inside enclosed vehicles and cargo compartments can become deadly within minutes and urges the public never to leave children or animals inside unattended vehicles.