Two North Florida animal rescue groups rescued 19 chihuahuas abandoned on the side of a rural road in St. Johns County.
Palm Coast-based SMART-Saving Missing Animals Response Team and SAFE Pet Rescue of St. Augustine collected most of the dogs on County Road 204 on May 6 and set traps out for others that may have fled into nearby woods. Three additional dogs had been hit and killed by cars.
The dogs that remain at large are “scared, starving and extremely hard to catch,” SMART Director Caroline Johnson wrote in a Facebook post. “We ask that everyone give time for the traps to work because if people continue to go in the woods after them, it will chase them away from the trapping area.”
The rescued dogs needed varying degrees of medical care. Some were emaciated or had open sores and fleas. Some were covered in feces and urine and battling infections.
“We know people are eager to foster and adopt — and we’re grateful. But right now, safety and medical care come first. These babies need to decompress,” Johnson said.
SAFE staff member Crystal DeSantiago told Times-Union news partner First Coast News that she received a phone call in the middle of the night from a friend reporting the abandoned dogs. When she and her daughters arrived at the scene, “there were chihuahuas just everywhere,” she said.
The owners must have found themselves in a “situation that got way out of control,” DeSantiago said. “With the economy how it is, it seems like everybody is dumping dogs everywhere.”
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
“To every single person who showed up, answered calls/messages, brought lights, helped search and then still had to go to work … thank you,” Johnson said. “This is what rescue looks like: commitment, dedication and a community refusing to look away. And thank you to everyone donating — this case is heavy and your support is what keeps us going.”
If you’re interested in fostering or adopting one of chihuahuas or donating to their care, go to smartflagler.com or safe-pet-rescue-fl.com.
bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Horde of chihuahuas abandoned on St. Johns County road, 19 rescued
Reporting by Beth Reese Cravey, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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