Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Destiny Mercedes Benton, 30, was arrested today and charged with felony animal cruelty after allegedly abandoning an injured dog on the side of the road.

According to the sworn complaint filed by a Gainesville Police Department (GPD) Officer, Benton took her dog to a veterinarian on December 12; the veterinarian reported that the dog had several medical conditions, but the most severe was “severe necrotic skin disease.” The veterinarian told the police officer that she offered several treatment options to Benton, but Benton said she could not afford the treatments. The veterinarian reportedly offered free euthanasia, but Benton also declined that. The veterinarian said she and Benton discussed surrendering the dog to someone else, but there was no placement available at that time. Benton reportedly left with the dog.

The next night, a passerby reportedly found the dog abandoned on the side of the road with a dog bed at SW 122nd Street and SW 89th Avenue, which is about 10 miles from Benton’s apartment. The dog was taken to the UF Small Animal Hospital and dropped off as a stray; it reportedly had extensive wounds and was very dirty, with chunks of skin falling off.

An Alachua County Animal Resource Officer took possession of the dog from UF and sent pictures to see if any providers recognized the dog. The veterinarian who had seen Benton and her dog in December contacted Animal Resources and provided information about the identity of the dog’s owner.

The Animal Resource Office reportedly said that the veterinarian at his facility believed the dog’s injuries were caused by a chemical burn and that the dog would have died from an infection without intervention.

The GPD officer made contact with Benton at her apartment. Post Miranda, she reportedly said she took the dog to the veterinarian, and they could not determine what caused the dog’s injuries but said it could have been a spider bite. She said she could not pay for the treatment, and the staff wanted her to turn over the dog to them. She said she declined and took the dog home for treatment, but she confirmed that she did not seek any further treatment after she left the veterinarian’s office. She said the dog had run away “a day or two” ago and that she did not know where it was.

A sworn complaint was filed on December 23, and a warrant for Benton’s arrest was issued in March by Judge David Kreider with a recommended bond of $10,000.

Benton has one misdemeanor conviction for leaving the scene of a crash. Judge Thomas Jaworski ordered her released on her own recognizance on the condition that she may not possess any animals.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.