Jacksonville Man Charged with Felony Animal Cruelty After Abandoning Dogs
Darius Pearson, 30, of Jacksonville, Florida, has been arrested and faces multiple animal cruelty charges. Authorities found a severely underweight mother dog and her three puppies abandoned in a home without adequate food, water, or air conditioning. Pearson is charged with one felony count of aggravated animal cruelty and three misdemeanor counts of confining animals without sufficient provisions. Witnesses reportedly advised Pearson to surrender his dogs to Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) due to concerns about his ability to care for them. Pearson's former partner indicated he moved out of the house approximately a month prior because the air conditioner was not working. Pearson initially claimed he paid a friend $500 to watch the dogs while he was out of town, but his brother later found the friend had left the dogs behind. Investigators noted that a written contract Pearson provided, allegedly with his friend Mark Williams, appeared to have been recently created. 
