SJSO
Florida man Malachi Dentry was charged with animal cruelty after the three-week-old puppies he had stuffed inside his purse -without ventilation or water, sick and dehydrated – had to be euthanized.
St. John’s County Sheriff’s deputies said Dentry, 20, was selling the pups in a shopping plaza parking lot. Police found the tiny brown and white puppies shoved into the bag, licking an empty formula bottle.
Tragically, because of their ill health, the pups were put down.
Dentry, who authorities said is homeless, was arrested and charged with animal cruelty.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Dentry Tried to Hide the Pups in His Purse. Deputies Found the 3-Week-Old Puppies Dehydrated & Ill Inside the Bag. Dentry Was Arrested
According to reports, deputies were called to he shopping plaza and found Dentry carrying a purse. When confronted, he reluctantly opened it and inside were the three-week old pups, shoved inside without ventilation. The temperature outdoors was near 80.
It was also reported that inside the purse was an empty formula bottle the pups “appeared to be licking.”
2. The Dogs Were Severely Dehydrated & Were Found to Have the Parvo Virus & Had to be Euthanized. People Are Angry
According to the St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office, the two dehydrated puppies to the St.Johns County Pet Center.
There, they were found to be infected with the parvo virus. Parvo is a highly contagious virus that causes serious and infectious gastrointestinal sickness in puppies and young dogs. The virus is deadly without treatment. Authorities said that given their condition, they needed to be euthanized by St. John’s County Animal Control.
Most of the Facebook comments on Dentry’s page are NSFW save these few:
“I hope you lose ALLLLLLLL of your dogs. You caused those precious puppies to die and I PRAY TO GOD YOU DO SOME SERIOUS TIME IN JAIL FOR WHAT YOU DID‼️‼️ YOUR A LOSER‼️‼️”
“I hope you do some serious time in jail for what you did to those puppies. They DIED BECAUSE OF YOU‼️‼️ You are a MURDERER‼️‼️”
“i hope someone treats u like you did those dogs you piece of Garbage”
3. Dentry’s ‘Wife’ Said a Stranger Told the Couple to Sell the Pups in a Parking Lot & They’d Split the Profits. Dentry Recently Posted on Facebook That He’d Soon Have Pups For Sale
As she is refereed to on his Facebook and according to deputies, Dentry’s wife claimed someone approached the couple and told them to sell the weeks-old puppies in the parking lot of the Lewis Point Plaza in St. Augustine, and that they’d divvy up the profits.
But on April 18, Dentry took to his Facebook page to announce pups would soon be for sale. It’s not clear if these are the same pups, though the timing would be off by a few weeks.
“Hml for Rednose Pitbull Pups, #Studs #Rednose Litter dropping in a week! ???”
4. Dentry & His Wife Are Reported by Police to be Homeless & Unable to Care For Dogs. But Dentry’s Facebook Shows the Two All Smiles With Other Dogs
In both reports and the St. John’s Sheriff’s online jail records, Dentry is listed as being homeless. In statements to local media, the sheriff’s office said the two were in “no condition to take care of the puppies …”
5. Dentry Was Charged With 2 Counts of Animal Cruelty & Posted $1000 Bond to Get Out of Jail
Dentry was arrested on Saturday April 20 and booked into the St. John’s County Sheriff’s Office lockup and held for two days on two counts of animal cruelty.
Each count came with a $500 bond for a total of $1000 in bail money he had to pay to be released, jail records show. He bonded out on April 22.