Two Miami men were arrested July 9 after Flagler County deputies found two dogs and two pigeons in distress inside the enclosed cargo area of a U-Haul truck during 102-degree temperatures, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.
Angel Valdes, 70, and Roy Valdes Hernandez, 35, both of Miami, were each charged with tormenting, depriving, mutilating or killing an animal, according to Flagler County jail records, after deputies responded to a report of a dog attempting to climb out the back of the moving truck through its partially opened roll-up door.
The investigation began after a witness called 911 to report seeing a dog attempting to climb out of the back of a moving U-Haul with its rear cargo door partially open, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
The caller followed the truck to the RaceTrac at 301 Palm Coast Parkway Northeast in Palm Coast and described the scene as “a terrible sight,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies located the truck and spoke with Angel Valdes, who told them the dogs were not in distress and “just needed water,” according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
But when deputies opened the cargo area, they found a 70-pound pit bull mix struggling to stand and an approximately 80-pound English bulldog unable to stand at all. According to the sheriff’s office, both dogs were lying in their own urine and had to be lifted from the truck before deputies gave them water, which they immediately drank.
According to investigators, the family said they were moving from Miami to Savannah, Georgia, and placed the dogs in the back of the U-Haul because their other vehicle felt too crowded. Deputies determined there was enough room in the family’s second vehicle to transport both dogs safely.
Palm Coast Animal Control determined the dogs were suffering from neglect and needed immediate veterinary care. While showing officers the cargo area, deputies also heard chirping coming from a closed storage box with no ventilation holes. Inside were two adult pigeons, which Animal Control also determined were in distress due to the lack of air and water. All four animals were taken to East Coast Animal Hospital for emergency treatment.
Valdes and Hernandez were later transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and later 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 on Facebook. “This family had room to bring their dogs upfront, 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.”
