TAMPA, Fla. (WSVN) — A man in central Florida recorded dashcam video of a driver appearing to dump a dog in a neighborhood before speeding away, with the confused animal running after the car.
Jerit Gaddis posted the video online Monday evening just after he witnessed the heartbreaking scene in Tampa, Fox 13 reports.
“[He] thought he was going to throw his dog out and get away with it,” Gaddis wrote on his Facebook post. “Well you did it in front of the wrong person.”
The video shows a driver’s side door opening up, followed by the dog jumping out. The car then drives away as the dog attempts to follow the car, but cannot keep up.
Gaddis said he tried to get the dog, which appeared to be a male red nose pit bull, but it ran away. He then said he called police, who told him to contact Hillsborough County Animal Services.
“Animal control just called and will be filing either felony/misdemeanor charges,” he wrote in an update.
Gaddis said he posted the video with the hope that someone watching could identify the driver of the car, described as a 1990s-model gold 4-door Chevrolet Cavalier.
Hillsborough County Pet Resources issued a statement to Fox 13 about their investigation:
“Animal Control officers are reviewing dash-cam video of the incident taken by a nearby motorist. Anyone who has information on the incident or the identity of the driver is encouraged to contact Animal Control at (813) 744-5660,” they wrote. “Pet Resources officials remind anyone facing difficulty caring for a dog or cat that the PRC shelter on Falkenburg Road is an open admissions shelter and accepts all dogs, cats, puppies or kittens regardless of age, breed, size, or medical condition. Abandoning an animal on the side of the road is never an acceptable option and could leave the pet owner facing animal cruelty or neglect charges.”
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