Elderly Dog Found Abandoned in Trash Bag: 'Will Not Be Tolerated'
An abandoned dog has been found in a trash bag in DeSoto County, Florida, in an incident officers described as "absolutely unacceptable."
DeSoto County Sheriff's Office responded to a call at around 3 p.m. on January 10. A resident had noticed the "oddly shaped" garbage bag near an intersection.
According to deputies, the caller opened the bag to find an older malnourished dog inside of it.
In a Facebook post, DeSoto County Sheriff's Office wrote: " Late this afternoon, around 3 p.m., DeSoto County Sheriff's Office received a call from a concerned citizen who found an oddly shaped garbage bag near the intersection of NW Livingston Street and NW North Road. They opened the plastic bag to reveal this severely malnourished, senior dog.
"There is absolutely NO reason to treat animals this way; not when there are shelters available and/or people who would gladly adopt a pretty little lady like this one," they warned. "It is absolutely unacceptable!"
"This poor pup is fed and comfortable for now thanks to DeSoto County Animal Control."
Images included in the post showed the dog appearing frail, with bones sticking out of her.
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The sheriff's office are now asking anyone who may have any information about the dog's owner, or the person "who discarded her like trash" to contact them as soon as possible.
Tips can be submitted by calling 863-993-4700 or emailing jbailey@desotosheriff.org.
"This cruelty will not be tolerated in DeSoto County," they assured in the post.
Despite being heartbreaking, this incident isn't the only case of animal abandonment in recent times to spark outcry from police.
In December, Walton County Sheriff's Office in Florida shared CCTV footage to Facebook, showing a man and woman abandoning a dog and her 11 puppies just days before Christmas.
The dogs were left in the cold outside an animal shelter, where they went unnoticed for an hour. In the footage, the couple pulled up to Walton County Animal Shelter in a white pickup truck, before getting out of the car with a black dog.
In the video, the man is shown going through donations left at the front of the building before placing a box next to the door.
He then returns to his truck and closes the tailgate before he and the woman get into the vehicle and leave.
Walton County Sheriff's Office described the clip as "difficult to watch," citing the moment when the dog realized she had been abandoned by her owners.
