JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s Animal Care and Protective Services is asking for the public’s help after a dog was found critically injured along a roadside and later euthanized due to the severity of his wounds.
According to ACPS, the dog nicknamed ‘Manatee’ was brought to their facility around 5:30 p.m. on June 26 after being found along a roadside near Blanding Boulevard and Argyle Forest.
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The dog — a large, blue-and-white unneutered male — was wrapped in a shower curtain and actively bleeding when he arrived. He was wearing a metal chain collar but had no microchip or identification tags. The officer leading the investigation has since named him “Manatee.”
Medical staff immediately assessed and stabilized him before transporting him to an emergency veterinary hospital. Veterinarians conducted a comprehensive examination and determined he had sustained multiple stab wounds, blunt force trauma to his chest and paralysis — a complete loss of sensation — in his hind legs.
Based on the location and pattern of his injuries, the attending veterinarian determined they were consistent with someone standing over the dog’s body and repeatedly stabbing him.
Despite every effort to save him, his injuries proved too severe. Manatee was humanely euthanized, according to ACPS.
Animal Care and Protective Services is now asking the public to help identify who owned Manatee and who is responsible for the violence he endured.
“If you have any information about Manatee or the circumstances surrounding his injuries, please come forward,” the agency said in a statement. “Your information could help identify the person responsible and bring justice for Manatee. NO DETAIL IS TOO SMALL.”
Those with information can remain anonymous by submitting a tip to First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-846-TIPS (8477). Information can also be reported through MyJax by calling 630-CITY (2489) or by visiting Animal Care and Protective Services in person.