Abandoned dog was tied to pole as yard flooded, Florida sheriff says. Owner arrested
A Florida dog owner has been charged with animal cruelty for leaving his pet tied outside as the backyard flooded, according to investigators.
It occurred June 12 at a home in Immokalee, when Collier County was under a flash flood warning due to days of torrential rain. Some areas got as much as 25 inches of rain from June 11-13, the Naples Daily News reported.
Deputies were alerted to Robo the dog’s predicament by a witness, who reported a “young bully terrier” was trapped in his plywood doghouse as water continued to rise, officials said.
“It was pouring down rain and (the area around) Robo’s doghouse was flooded with approximately 1-2 feet of water,” the sheriff’s office said in a June 26 news release.
“Robo was tethered to a pole and had barely any space to move outside his doghouse that wasn’t flooded. At the time, Collier County had received an excessive amount of rain the past couple of days and was under tornado and flood watches.”
The dog’s 43-year-old owner was not home at the time, officials said. That prompted staff with Animal Cruelty Investigations Alliance and Domestic Animal Services to free the dog and take it with them, officials said.
Investigators did not say how long Robo had been stuck in the yard.
“Detectives made contact with (the owner) by phone and he agreed to surrender Robo, who detectives said is 2-3 years old and weighs about 30 pounds,” officials said.
Robo’s owner was arrested June 26 and charged “with animal cruelty for failing to provide Robo with adequate shelter and unlawfully tethering him, preventing adequate movement and exercise,” the sheriff’s office said.
The SNIP Collier veterinary clinic is caring for Robo and working to find him a home, officials said.
“After the life he has already endured we are so thrilled to be a part of his journey to the forever life he so deserves,” the clinic wrote in a June 27 Facebook post.
Immokalee is about a 160-mile drive southeast from Tampa.
This story was originally published June 27, 2024 at 11:26 AM with the headline "Abandoned dog was tied to pole as yard flooded, Florida sheriff says. Owner arrested."