PALM COAST, Fla. – A DoorDash driver’s report of dogs left in a sweltering garage led to the rescue of a nursing mother dog and her eight puppies and the arrest of a 36-year-old Palatka woman on animal cruelty charges, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded at approximately 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 25, to a home on Rolland Lane after the delivery driver reported seeing dogs confined inside a garage without adequate food or water.
According to investigators, the driver observed a two-level cage with an adult American Bully in the lower section and eight puppies in the upper section. The driver reported that all of the animals were panting in the heat and appeared to have little or no access to water.
When deputies arrived, they found the puppies, estimated to be about 4 1/2 weeks old, piled on top of one another inside the upper cage, sharing a single bowl containing only a small amount of water. Their mother, a 2-year-old nursing dog named Envy, was confined in the lower cage next to an empty water bowl while outdoor temperatures reached approximately 97 degrees.
Authorities said Shafaira Johnson, 36, of Palatka, exited the residence through the garage and admitted she expected the DoorDash driver to contact law enforcement. Deputies said she refused to allow them into the garage and claimed she could not move the dogs inside because she was waiting for someone to return with her vehicle.
At approximately 1:40 p.m., a deputy ordered Johnson to provide water to the adult dog after observing it panting heavily. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Johnson initially refused, claiming the dog had already been watered and would vomit if it drank too much. Deputies said she complied only after receiving a second order about nine minutes later.
As Flagler County Animal Control officers responded to the scene, investigators said Johnson attempted to close the garage door and was instructed to reopen it. Instead, deputies said she began placing the puppies into a cardboard box and read a text message she claimed stated law enforcement could not enter the garage.
Because deputies believed the animals faced an immediate danger due to the extreme heat, they repeatedly ordered Johnson to open the garage door. Authorities said she refused and positioned herself between the deputy and the dogs.
Shortly before 2:45 p.m., a man arrived at the residence and turned over a cardboard box containing the eight puppies, which investigators said were panting and warm to the touch. Animal Control personnel placed the puppies into an air-conditioned vehicle before taking custody of Envy, who deputies said was still lactating and panting heavily.
Sheriff Rick Staly credited the DoorDash driver for alerting authorities, saying the call likely prevented the animals from suffering more serious harm. He also urged pet owners who cannot properly care for their animals to surrender them rather than leave them in dangerous conditions.
Johnson was arrested and charged with animal cruelty, confinement of animals without sufficient food or water, and resisting an officer without violence. She was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and later released after posting a $1,500 bond.
The investigation remains ongoing.