WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (WFLA) – A Winter Haven man is accused of starving a dog so severely, the dog is thought to have eaten sand to survive. Investigators say the dog’s stomach was 75 percent full of sand.
On June 24, Polk County Animal Control received an anonymous call from someone who drove by the home of Walter Manuel, 52, and saw what appeared to be a severely malnourished dog. Animal control officers responded to the home on Carefree Cove Drive and found a 3-year-old male, pit bull-cur mix dog that investigators say was in very poor health. Manuel surrendered the dog to animal control officers.
The dog was examined by Polk County Animal Veterinarian Dr. Abby DeGroat, who determined the dog to be in severe distress. DeGroat said the dog weighed only 44.6 pounds and its skeletal structure was visible through its skin. DeGroat also determined that the dog had severe breathing problems and was suffering immensely and would need to be put down.
A necropsy performed on the dog found that its stomach was 75 percent full of sand. It was presumed that the dog was without food to the point where it was eating dirt, according to investigators. The veterinarian also said that the dog suffered from a disorder that caused its esophagus to thicken to the point that the dog could barely swallow.
“Dr. Degroat stated that the dog suffered for an extended period of time and the dog starved to near death from the disorder of his esophagus not being treated, the loss of weight and the little to no proper diet. The dog suffered a cruel life from lack of proper care and veterinarian care over an extended period of time,” said the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in a news release about the arrest.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Manuel on June 25 and charged him with one count of felony animal cruelty.
“We take animal cruelty very seriously in Polk County. Anyone who would treat an animal like this—watching it starve to death—deserves to be held accountable by our criminal justice system, and should never again be allowed to own animals,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd