NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – In an exclusive interview with Local 10 News, a Miami-Dade Police Department detective recounted what she says is a disturbing case of animal cruelty.
Detective Judy Webb said David Denneen, 58, kept multiple Belgian Malinois puppies stacked on top of each other in a tiny cage, unable to stand or move, and had malnourished adult Malinois dogs as well.
He was living behind the Shell gas station at 2799 NE 163rd St. in North Miami Beach.
“If I had not arrested him, he would be out there with 10 more puppies,” Webb said. “They were chained to the fence, they were chained to the cart, they looked malnourished to me. They didn’t have proper food. They didn’t have adequate water.”
Witnesses saw the conditions and reported Denneen, a convicted felon, to police.
One adult dog was pregnant; another was blind. Police said Denneen claimed he was training the dogs for the military.
“We’ve been in a heat advisory for months now and those puppies locked in the cage like that, I don’t know how long he kept them in there, even for five minutes, it’s too long,” Webb said.
Denneen remained jailed as of Wednesday on animal cruelty charges. The dogs are now in the care of Miami-Dade Animal Services.
“Animal Services is working hard they are at full capacity right now,” said Webb. “Please adopt, don’t shop.”
Denneen’s bond was set to $2,505 and he is scheduled for a court appearance on Oct. 15.
He previously served a little more than three years of a five-year prison sentence stemming from an aggravated stalking conviction out of Palm Beach County.