A 44-year-old Florida man has been charged with animal abandonment after a 6-month-old female pit bull was found deserted inside a dumpster last month, police say.
The young pup, now called Daisy, was discovered by waste management who were assigned to empty two bins at the Speedway Gas Station in Bradenton at approximately 3:45 p.m. on June 10.
A staff member spotted the dog just before attending to the second dumpster, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. "I saw a little head pop up. So that's when I ran around and I saw the puppy in there," worker Daniel Cormier told 8 On Your Side (WFLA). Daisy was still inside an animal cage.
The dog was still alive but did not have a microchip to help identify its owner. ABC7 reported the store manager brought the pit bull into the gas station and gave it food before calling the local authorities.
The Manatee County Animal Services was contacted and took custody of the dog. Alongside the animal rescue agency, the sheriff's office launched an investigation into the abandonment case on June 11.
A suspect—Earl LaFrance—was identified as a potential suspect after being linked to a previous complaint alleging that a dog was being kept inside a garage at the nearby Lost Creek Apartments, where he lived. LaFrance also had lengthy criminal history and outstanding warrants from Bay County, police uncovered. Video footage obtained from the gas station captured someone placing a "large item" in a dumpster.
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After a period of investigation LaFrance was soon arrested.
Police said in a statement: "On June 13, deputies conducted surveillance and followed LaFrance into Sarasota County where he was arrested on those outstanding warrants. State probation was notified of the arrest. The investigation continued for a couple more weeks and probable cause was developed."
LaFrance was charged on Tuesday and remains in custody in Bay County on his previous charges. Alongside the animal abandonment allegation, the suspect was charged with driving with a suspended license. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office published surveillance footage of the arrest to its YouTube account.
On June 15, the county's animal services released a video of Daisy and appealed for viable adopters. It said the pup "wants to play all the time" and was now "searching for her forever family." Soon after, good news came. WWSB reported Daisy was adopted by a family on June 27.
The County Animal Services stressed the adopters had decided to keep their privacy. "We want to keep the focus on her, we are looking forward to getting her into a normal routine," they said, according to WWSB.
