- July 13, 2026
According to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, two men were arrested Thursday after deputies found two dogs and two pigeons in distress inside the metal cargo area of a U-Haul box truck while the temperature outside reached 102 degrees.
Deputies responded to the RaceTrac at 301 Palm Coast Parkway Northeast after a caller who "Saw Something, Said Something" reported seeing a dog trying to climb out of the back of a U-Haul as it drove down the road with the roll-up door slightly open. The caller described it as "a terrible sight," according to FCSO.
Deputies located the U-Haul at the RaceTrac and spoke with the driver, Angel Valdes, 70, of Miami. When asked if his dogs were in distress, Valdes said no and told deputies they "just needed water." At the back of the truck, deputies could see two large noses pushing through a gap beneath the door, according to FCSO.
When deputies opened the cargo door, they found two dogs panting heavily, according to FCSO. A 70-pound pit bull mix was struggling to stand, and an 80-pound English bulldog could not stand at all. Both dogs were lying in their own urine and had to be lifted out because they could not get out on their own. Deputies gave the dogs water, which they drank immediately.
The family told deputies they were moving from Miami to Savannah, Georgia, and had placed the dogs in the cargo box because their other vehicle felt too crowded, according to FCSO. Deputies, however, determined there was enough room in the family's other vehicle to transport both dogs.
Palm Coast Animal Control responded and determined the dogs were suffering from neglect and needed immediate veterinary care, according to FCSO. While showing Animal Control the area where the dogs had been traveling, deputies heard chirping coming from a closed storage box with no air holes. Inside were two full-grown pigeons, which Animal Control also determined were in distress due to a lack of air and water.
Animal Control took custody of both dogs and both pigeons and transported them to East Coast Animal Hospital for emergency treatment, according to FCSO.
Deputies arrested Angel Valdes and his son, Roy Valdes Hernandez, 35, of Miami, on charges of animal cruelty, according to FCSO. Both were transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and later released on $500 bond.
"If you wouldn't ride in a metal box in 102-degree heat with no air, don't force an animal to do it," Sheriff Rick Staly said. "This family had room to bring their dogs up front, but chose to let them cook in the back of a U-Haul instead. Remember, if it has a heartbeat don't leave it unattended in any vehicle, especially in the current heat wave we are having."
The Flagler County Sheriff's Office is reminding the public not to leave any living being, whether a child or a pet, inside a hot vehicle during the summer. According to FCSO, temperatures inside a closed vehicle or cargo space can become deadly within minutes.
