A GoFundMe page set up to help a Daytona Beach dog abandoned in a trash compactor Sunday, July 6, has exceeded its goal.
The almost $6,000 raised as of Friday morning, July 11, will be used to help cover the dog’s medical costs, according to Heather Jones, who set up the fundraiser and is caring for the pup she and her husband named “Daytona.”
When the fundraiser was 92% of to its $5,000 goal, Jones took to social media to thank all who had donated.
“I am blown away by this!” she wrote on her Facebook page Thursday afternoon, July 10. “This boy is going to have the best life!! Let’s keep it rolling!”
What happened to the dog abandoned in a trash compactor in Daytona Beach?
According to Jones’ GoFundMe page, her husband, Brandon, a Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission officer, received “a courtesy call from a resident in our apartment complex that a dog had been dumped in the trash compactor on site.”
“We rushed down immediately to help out, and Brandon was able to recover him safely,” Jones wrote.
However, they quickly found out the dog was having difficulty walking and clearly needed medical attention.
The black and white medium-sized dog, as it appears in photos Jones shared on the GoFundMe page, “is a gentle and mild-mannered dog, who doesn’t appear to be very old at all,” she wrote.
Jones added that the dog didn’t appear to be in any pain, but “he does need to be neutered and undoubtedly will need his shots and worming treatment.”
Daytona Beach Police committed to finding suspect
In a statement earlier in the week, Daytona Beach Police called the incident an unacceptable “act of cruelty.”
“We are fully committed to pursuing all leads to identify and hold the responsible party accountable.”
In a video posted on Facebook, Jones thanked the Daytona Beach Police Department and Animal Control for donating several items, including food and toys.
News-Journal reporter Patricio G. Balona contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: GoFundMe for dog abandoned in Daytona Beach trash compactor exceeds $5K goal
Reporting by Brenno Carillo, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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