Update: PETA Offers Up to $5,000 to Catch Jerk Who Dumped Dog from Car
Officials with Hillsborough County Animal Control Services are still searching for the person or persons who shoved a dog out of a car on a busy road in Tampa, Florida, and sped away as the confused and frightened animal chased after them. PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case, in order to encourage people who may have information about the incident to come forward. On August 7, a shocked motorist captured this dash-cam footage of the driver of a gold Chevrolet Cavalier pushing a dog—whom the witness believes is a male pit bull—out of the car near the intersection of North and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. boulevards and driving off. The witness tried in vain to rescue the dog, who has not been seen since. If you have any information that could help lead authorities to the dog or the guilty party, please contact Hillsborough County Animal Control Services at 813-744-5660.
The following was originally published on August 11, 2017.
On Monday, Jerit Gaddis—a Tampa, Florida, man—posted a video on Facebook of what appears to be a driver slowing down to dump a dog out of a car in a South Seminole Heights neighborhood, then speeding away. Gaddis recorded the footage using a personal dash-cam.
In the video, the driver of a Chevrolet Cavalier can be seen opening a driver’s-side door, through which a dog then exits. The car can then be seen driving away quickly. The dog, who appears confused, seems to try to follow the car—unsuccessfully—before running off.
Gaddis, who believes that the dog was an unneutered pit bull, tried to save the dog. Unfortunately, Gaddis was unable to rescue him, and he still hasn’t been found.
Gaddis reported the incident to Tampa police, who referred it to local animal control services. Gaddis was reportedly told by an animal control officer that felony or misdemeanor charges will likely be filed against the driver, which could include animal cruelty or neglect charges.
Folks struggling to care for a companion animal should contact their local open-admission shelter.
Don’t Contribute to Animal Homelessness—Help End It
The dog abandoned in Gaddis’ dash-cam video is one of thousands of unwanted, abandoned, neglected, and stray animals across the country. We can wipe out animal homelessness by working together to strike at the root cause—the failure to spay and neuter companion animals. The single most important thing that we can do to save cats and dogs from the suffering and death that overpopulation causes is to spay and neuter them.
If you’re ready to do the kind, responsible thing and have your animals spayed or neutered, click the buttons below to discover all the information that you’ll need to get your animals “fixed” conveniently and affordably.
