Elderly dog abused, abandoned near Pembroke Pines supermarket now in hospice care
An elderly German shepherd injured after being thrown out of a truck and abandoned near a Pembroke Pines supermarket is now receiving breed-specific care at a Central Florida dog hospice.
Nico, the 13-year-old dog found matted, malnourished and seriously hurt near Sedano’s Supermarket at 10333 Pines Blvd., was released from Broward County Animal Care to the Healy Pack Senior GSD Sanctuary on Tuesday, June 30, the Broward nonprofit announced.
Veterinarians at Broward Animal Care opted to transfer the dog after determining he had “traumatic injuries, tumors, and difficulty walking” that required an expert approach.
“This was a unique opportunity because a trusted partner had the capacity to provide specialized hospice care,” Doug Brightwell, Broward County Animal Care’s director, said in a June 30 statement.
Nico will continue the veterinary evaluations and treatments started in Broward while receiving “hospice care focused on comfort, dignity and quality of life,” at Healy Pack Senior GSD Sanctuary in Inverness.
“We do not know what the future holds, but we do know this: Nico will never again be alone or without people fighting for him,” said Sandy Vogel, board president of Healy Pack Senior GSD Sanctuary.
The abuse
Pembroke Pines Police Department officers discovered Nico’s alleged abuser, 60-year-old Humberto Exposito, through surveillance video that captured him tossing and abandoning the elderly dog.
Footage captured Exposito dropping the German shepherd several feet to the ground from the back of a box truck while making a delivery to Sedano’s around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, the agency said in a news release.
Video clips shared on PPPD’s Instagram page show the dog scrambling to stabilize itself while being tossed and falling onto its back after hitting the ground.
The Pembroke Pines News is not publishing the video due to its graphic content.
“Exposito returned to the truck after completing the delivery as the dog remained immobile on the ground,” police said. “Exposito made no effort to help the dog and left it behind with no access to food, water, shelter, or protection.”
Investigators say Nico was found underfed, with matted hair and signs of hip dysplasia.
Exposito was located the following day by Pines officers and detectives, who booked him into Broward Main Jail on multiple charges, according to police.
He was released on a $10,000 bond on June 29 and faces a third-degree felony for aggravated animal cruelty and two misdemeanors for abandonment of an animal and confinement of an animal without sufficient air exchange.
About Healy Pack Senior GSD Sanctuary
Healy Pack Senior GSD Sanctuary was founded in 2019 by animal advocate Linda Healy with a mission to rescue German shepherds from high-kill shelters in Texas and Florida.
The animal rescue offers foster placement, adoption and ongoing care through quality food, supplements and ongoing medical treatment.
Dogs who aren’t successfully placed remain in the sanctuary’s care as the nonprofit holds that it “will never euthanize for space.”
For more information, visit Healy Pack Senior GSD Sanctuary’s website.
