Man Arrested After Refusing To Give Panting Dog Water: Sheriff

SEMINOLE, FL -- A Seminole man was arrested for animal cruelty after Pinellas County Sheriff's deputies said they received a complaint that a dog was panting heavily and the owner refused to give her water.

The sheriff's office received a call at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday that a man at the Seminole Community Library, 9200 113th St. N. was dragging his dog behind him in 90-degree weather. The dog was panting heavily so the caller offered the man some water for the dog but the man refused to let his dog drink it, saying the dog didn't need water "because she was from Jerusalem."

When deputies arrived, they saw Kevin Duggan, 24, dragging the dog by the leash in the 8800 block of 98th Street North. The temperature was 93 degrees and the heat index was 100 degrees, said deputies. The dog named Molly was panting excessively and was unable to stand on her own.

Duggan was arrested for misdemeanor animal cruelty and booked into the Pinellas County Jail where bond was set at $150.

The sheriff's office attempted to reach Duggan's family to see if they wanted to claim Molly but was unable to reach anyone so Molly was taken to Pinellas Animal Services for treatment. A sheriff's spokesman said she is doing well. If Duggan's family doesn't claim her, she will be put up for adoption.