FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. — Panhandle Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Fort Walton Beach says someone broke in early Monday morning and dumped six puppies, as well as their mom and dad.
PAWS posted a video and pictures to social media, hoping to identify the vehicle caught on camera. They’re also asking if anyone recognizes the dogs, in hopes that could lead them to the owner.
“In the middle of the night. In the cold,” PAWS said in a Facebook post. “Not only is dumping animals against the law, but they also caused property damage breaking in. If you recognize this vehicle or have any information, please contact animal control immediately.”
It is, in fact, against the law in Florida to dump or drop off dogs. If you leave a dog in a public place without food, shelter or water, it’s classified under abandonment. The culprit could face misdemeanor charges.
“Couldn’t really tell what they were doing,” said Tracey Kinsley, interim executive director at PAWS. “There are certain angles of the building that unfortunately aren’t covered with the camera.”
Employees didn’t know what happened until they arrived to work around 7 a.m. on Monday.
“They saw two dogs roaming and six puppies that were in our outside 10 x 10 kennel,” Kinsley said. “It was just a little disappointing for us to see the mom and dad were out roaming — and could’ve easily been hit by a car. But the puppies were still behind.”
They believe the puppies are about 6-weeks-old.
The pups, plus mom and dad, were well taken care of, according to PAWS.
Since the pandemic, Kinsley says across the country, there have been more instances of surrenders at shelters simply because people can no longer afford their pets — in turn leaving many of those shelters at capacity.
“The cost of dog food has tripled in price, veterinary care has tripled in price as well,” Kinsley said. “That’s why we always ask that when you do adopt, it’s a lifetime commitment.”
She says cost could’ve been a reason why the dogs were dropped off at PAWS this week.
Kinsley says the person who did it broke into the shelter’s Sally Ports, causing property damage that PAWS was able to fix with minimal cost.
“We are private property, so it technically would be considered trespassing,” Kinsley said. “But that’s not the angle we want to take.”
Instead of pressing charges for trespassing and abandonment, PAWS is using this as a teachable moment for the entire community. They say it’s important to follow the correct process if you need to surrender your animal. Start with giving your local shelter a call.
“We are here to take care of the animals, but we are full just like every other shelter in the United States and we want people to be able to keep their animals,” Kinsley said. “So if they were having a hard time affording medical care or food or you need a kennel, something like that, just reach out. We want to help. We don’t want the animals here. The best place for them is in a home.”
The abandoned puppies are not old enough to adopt yet, but the shelter says you can apply to foster.
Once the mandatory five-day “stray hold” ends, the two older dogs will be available to bring home.
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