DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A woman is facing a felony animal cruelty charge after deputies say she threw a German shepherd off a motel balcony in Daytona Beach.
Volusia County deputies say Allison Murphy threatened to jump off the second floor of the Motel 6 on West International Speedway Boulevard Monday afternoon. When authorities arrived, staff explained she had attacked a maid and was seen standing over the railing, according to the sheriff’s office. As deputies went to confront Murphy in front of her room, she rushed out, disregarded law enforcement and threw her dog over the railing instead, according to deputy body camera video.
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Body camera video released by the sheriff’s office shows the 35-year-old then ran into her motel room shortly after releasing the dog into a free fall.
[WARNING: Video below contains graphic content]
The dog landed feet first, running through the parking lot until it was eventually corralled by people nearby, according to the sheriff’s office.
“It looked scared,” Jose Carnot, the man who caught the dog said.
Carnot owns Pikaro’s Food Truck and was parked near the motel. He said Monday was his first day serving lunch when he saw the dog dragging its leash.
“I didn’t see anybody around, and I said ‘let me get the dog before it goes onto the highway.’ If I wasn’t here at Pikaro’s, we would have never got the dog to safety,” Carnot said. “That’s no way to treat pets. If you want a pet, you got to treat it right.
Deputies proceeded to arrest Murphy in her motel room as Volusia County Animal Services took the German shepherd into custody. Animal services staff has since nicknamed the dog “Miracle.”
Miracle was taken to Atlantic Animal Hospital in Port Orange for emergency evaluation where veterinarians learned via X-ray that a sewing needle was pushed into her right thigh, according to the sheriff’s office.
The dog underwent a procedure to remove the needle and is currently recovering with animal services. Ultimately, Miracle avoided serious injury and is recovering well, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies say a petition for custody over Miracle will be scheduled with the courts in the coming weeks.
VCAS offered an update Wednesday, saying Miracle is now with a foster care family. Animal services said if the court grants the agency custody, the foster family is willing to adopt.
You may have heard about Miracle, the German Shepherd rescued after being thrown off the second floor of a motel Monday....
Posted by Volusia County Animal Services on Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Murphy is now being held in the Volusia County Jail facing charges of animal cruelty and resisting officer arrest with violence. She refused to see a judge during her first appearance. The judge has since ordered her to be held without bond until she has a mental evaluation.
VCAS and the sheriff’s office ask anyone who witnesses animal cruelty or abuse is encouraged to contact animal services at 386-248-1790 or the sheriff’s office at 386-248-1777.