JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Surveillance footage capturing a woman abandoning a malnourished goldendoodle in Jacksonville’s Arlington area has sparked renewed calls for stricter animal cruelty penalties in Florida.
The dog, now named “Chicken Tender” by Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) staff, was discovered severely underweight after being abandoned Sunday evening on Carlotta Road near the Arlington Expressway.
Security camera footage shows a white van stopping in the neighborhood around 8:26 p.m. Sunday. A woman exits the vehicle, releases the dog, and drives away. The goldendoodle remained in the same location until approximately 1 a.m. Monday, waiting for its owner’s return.
Under current Florida law, this type of abandonment would typically result in a misdemeanor charge. Felony charges only apply if the animal is severely injured, sick, or abandoned during natural disasters.
“When it comes to this, people treat animals like property - ‘I can’t take care of it anymore, so I’m going to let it out. Somebody will find it,” Crime and Safety Analyst Tom Hackney said.
Arlington resident Jenna Johnson, who discovered the dog in her neighbor’s yard, said this wasn’t an isolated incident.
“A lost dog runs the neighborhood. An abandoned dog stays where they are lost or where they were left,” Johnson said, noting her neighborhood’s history of similar abandonments.
Despite having video evidence, investigators face obstacles in identifying who was responsible. The surveillance footage quality isn’t sufficient to capture the van’s license plate number. Even if authorities locate the owner, current laws limit potential penalties to a small fine and/or up to one year in the Duval County jail.
Gov. DeSantis recently signed Troopers Law, making pet abandonment during natural disasters a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. However, this enhanced penalty doesn’t apply to cases like Chicken Tender’s.
Investigators could pursue felony charges if they can prove both ownership and prior abuse or neglect. Such cases would be referred to the state attorney’s office for potential third-degree felony charges.
Community advocates like Johnson are pushing for legislative change: “Something needs to be done. Something needs to be done now because it’s happening every day,” Johnson said.