PALATKA, Fla. – A Palatka man is behind bars after deputies say five dogs were found in deplorable conditions at his Washington Street home, including one dog that required emergency surgery to remove a chain embedded in her neck.
Marcel Plowden, 40, was arrested Wednesday afternoon, after returning to the residence. He faces one count of aggravated animal cruelty and five counts of animal abandonment during a state of emergency — also known as Trooper’s Law.
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Plowden was booked into the Putnam County Jail and held on $30,000 bond.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the dog that underwent surgery may also have a foreign object lodged in her stomach and remains under veterinary care.
“It is our hope she is able to pull through this horrid ordeal because despite being in severe pain she allowed Animal Control and veterinarian staff to help her,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
The remaining four dogs were transported to Animal Control, where they were being treated for dehydration and other symptoms related to neglect.