JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After Jacksonville police found a puppy in grave condition, covered in blood, inside a box outside an Eastside home, a man is charged with animal cruelty in the case.
Keyunon Smith, 23, was arrested Tuesday in the investigation that began Friday at his home on Harrison Street.
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Warning, the details in this story are very disturbing.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, there was a room in the house where the puppy was being kept, and there was blood everywhere.
Neighbors on the block, who asked not to be identified, reacted Wednesday to the gruesome discovery at the home on Harrison Street.
“Terrible," one woman said. "It’s very heartbreaking.”
Police said a puppy that lived in the home was a victim of what appears to be an extreme case of animal cruelty.
According to investigators, the puppy was fully covered in blood and its jaw was broken. Investigators also said the dog had multiple bumps on its head, appeared extremely malnourished and was in grave condition.
Police said the dog's owner, Smith, is charged with animal cruelty. It's unclear if his girlfriend, who called police to report the puppy had been beaten, will be charged, according to the Sheriff's Office.
A neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, said he believes the couple is innocent.
“I don’t know who did it, but I don’t think they did it," he said. "Just because of the simple fact that if they did it, why would they call police? They could have got rid of the dog and no one would have ever known.”
Investigators said they reviewed surveillance video from cameras mounted on a neighbor's home, and in one video, a man matching Smith's description could be seen going in and out of the room the dog was staying in.
Police reports show the couple told officers they didn't know how the dog was injured. Investigators said the room it was kept in had pools of blood on the floor and splattered blood on the walls.
Investigators also said that same room was completely empty and that there were no objects inside that could have injured the animal.
Several neighbors said they had previously seen the puppy playing inside the fence, but it had only been there for about a week and a half, and never appeared to cause any trouble.