PALM COAST, Fla. – A tip from a passerby led to the arrest of two Miami men after two dogs and two pigeons were found in distress inside a sweltering U-Haul box truck, said the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies located the truck at a RaceTrac gas station at 301 Palm Coast Parkway Northeast on Thursday.
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According to deputies, a caller reported seeing a dog trying to climb out of the back of a moving U-Haul with its roll-up door partially open, describing it as “a terrible sight.”
When deputies asked the driver, Angel Valdes, 70, whether his dogs were in distress, he said no — claiming they “just needed water.” At the rear of the truck, deputies spotted two large noses pushing through a gap beneath the door, an arrest affidavit states.
When the door was opened, both dogs were found panting heavily, lying in their own urine, and unable to stand under their own power. A 70-pound pit bull mix was struggling to stand, while an 80-pound English bulldog could not stand at all. The apparent outside temperature at the time was 102 degrees, deputies said.
The family said they were moving from Miami to Savannah, Georgia, and put the dogs in the cargo box because their other vehicle felt too crowded. While Animal Control was surveying the area, deputies heard chirping from a sealed storage box with no air holes — inside were two full-grown pigeons, also in distress. All four animals were transported to the hospital for emergency treatment.
Valdes and his son, Roy Valdes Hernandez, 35, were arrested for animal cruelty and later released on 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,” said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. “This family had room to bring their dogs up front, 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.”