Two dogs were found dead inside an apartment in Putnam County, and now a 911 dispatcher is facing charges in connection with their deaths.
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Authorities discovered the animals, named Romeo and Brutis, left inside a kennel in severely neglected conditions. Maintenance staff found the decomposing dogs after the tenant’s lease ended on July 3rd, according to the sheriff‘s office.
When you think of dispatch, they’re the ones you call in an emergency — the calm voice on the line when you need help. But on Thursday, it was the law that came knocking for Putnam County Sheriff’s Office 911 dispatcher Brianna Allender.
Animal lovers like Karen Hawkins were shocked to hear someone in law enforcement could commit such a crime.
“It’s just unreal. It hurts my heart,” Hawkins said.
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Wendy Parish, another animal advocate, added, “She shouldn’t know better.”
According to the police report, Animal Control concluded the dogs had starved to death and noted signs that the animals had tried to survive by eating plastic bowls.
Parish shared her heartbreak, saying, “I know the Sheriff wouldn’t put up with that. It’s just heartbreaking. No animal deserves that kind of suffering.”
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Sheriff H.D. “Gator” DeLoach expressed deep disappointment over the incident in a Facebook post, emphasizing the Sheriff’s Office’s commitment to animal welfare.
Although the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation, the Palatka Police Department is now leading the case, as the incident occurred within city limits.
In the police report, Allender claimed she had asked someone to take the dogs to a shelter before being hospitalized on June 17, but never followed up.
Allender was arrested and charged with animal cruelty. She was released on Thursday on a $2,500 bond.
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