FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – Bunnell police arrested a 21-year-old Palm Coast woman on Sunday after officers discovered two dead dogs inside a storage unit where investigators allege the animals were kept in “dangerous conditions.”
In a release, police said an officer was called to a storage facility in the 500 block of East Court Street on Sunday morning after a tenant reported a “strong, foul odor” coming from a unit.
The tenant told officers that dog noises were usually heard from inside, but none were heard that morning. Furthermore, the officer reported seeing ants beneath the roll-up door and flies going in and out of a vent.
According to police, the facility owner helped contact the renter — identified as Alexia Veronica Barquet, 21 — who came to the facility and unlocked the unit. Barquet told officers she kept two Labrador retrievers inside and consented to a search, investigators said.
Inside, officers reported finding the floor covered with dog feces, trash and debris. A portable cooling unit appeared to be running but produced no cool air, and police said the unit felt no cooler than the outside temperature, as the heat index was about 96 degrees. Investigators also said there was no water in the dogs’ dishes.
Officers found two deceased female black Labrador retrievers, identified as 5-year-old “Ava” and 2-year-old “Karma.” Police said Karma was on the floor near a door, while Ava’s remains had been placed inside a black plastic bag.
Per the release, Barquet told officers she found Ava dead earlier in the week, put her in the bag and left the remains in the unit, and that she last checked on Karma on Friday, providing food and water at that time, police said.
Police added that an animal control officer had previously contacted Barquet back in March and warned her not to house animals overnight in the storage unit.
Barquet was thus arrested and now faces two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty and two misdemeanor counts related to confinement or abandonment without adequate care, police said. Her bond was set at $6,000.
“This is a disgusting case of animal cruelty, and these dogs died in a condition no animal should ever face,” Bunnell Police Chief David Brannon said. “Animals depend entirely upon their owners for food, clean water, safe shelter, exercise, medical attention, and protection from dangerous conditions. Owning an animal carries a serious responsibility — one no person can ignore or set aside when providing care becomes difficult."
Anyone who witnesses an animal in immediate danger is urged to call 911. Residents may report suspected animal cruelty or neglect to the Bunnell Police Department at (386) 437-7508.