News and Investigations

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit has made another arrest for animal cruelty in the same week, unrelated to the October 1st arrest.

This most recent suspect, 26-year-old Andrew Whitehurst, who lives at 5616 3rd Street SE #4 in Lakeland, told deputies that he "left town for work" and assumed a family member was going to take care of his three dogs. Instead, the dogs were left inside the residence without air, or water. One of the dogs died, while the other two were severely malnourished and dehydrated.

"If you own pets, it is your responsibility to take care of them by providing them with food, water, and shelter which includes free-flowing air. Not doing so is evidence of someone with no conscience and a great disregard for life. Andrew doesn't deserve to be a pet owner ever again." - Grady Judd, Sheriff

The investigation began on October 2, 2024, when deputies were contacted to do a well-being check at the home. The witness reported seeing skinny dogs inside. When deputies arrived, the power appeared to be off and nobody was home and they could smell a foul odor coming from within. They retrieved the homeowner's information and called him (the suspect). When the man showed up, he told deputies his name was "Kevin James" and that he was a friend of Andrew's coming to check on the dogs. Deputies queried his information and confirmed he was the suspect, who then advised he was scared to give them his real name. He confirmed that he lived there and the dogs were his, and that he left on September 26th for work. He said he assumed his father would come take care of the dogs but did not specifically make those arrangements.

When the Animal Cruelty Investigations detectives went inside, here's what they found:

Flies on the insides of the windows
A deceased dog
Two obviously malnourished dogs
The floors covered in feces and urine
No fresh water
No air conditioning or ventilation


Here is an excerpt from the affidavit:


The first dog scored a 1/9 on the Purina Body Condition System. A Purina Body Condition Score of 1 out of 9 indicates ribs, lumbar vertebrae, pelvic bones, and all bony prominences evident from a distance, with no discernible body fat and an obvious loss of muscle mass.

The second dog scored a 2/9 on the Purina Body Condition System. A Purina Body Condition Score of 2 out of 9 indicates ribs, lumbar vertebrae, and pelvic bones easily visible, with no palpable fat and some evidence of other bony prominences, as well as minimal loss of muscle mass.

The deceased dog was located in the living room area and was beginning to decompose. A necropsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death; however, at this time, it appears the dog died from a heat-related issue.

Whitehurst is charged with:

3 counts felony animal cruelty (F3) 
1 count confining animal without sufficient food/water (M1)
1 count giving false info to a LEO (M1)


He's being held in the Polk County Jail until a first appearance hearing this afternoon. The two dogs are at Polk County Animal Control where they will be treated and rehabilitated.