An officer from the Prince George’s County Police Department is facing three animal cruelty charges related to the mistreatment of Daisy, a two-year-old bloodhound assigned to his care, authorities reported.
Officials said Cpl. David Acosta, assigned to the canine section, was suspended on July 14 for an unrelated incident. During the suspension process, two handlers were instructed to retrieve Daisy and Acosta’s second dog, a Belgian Malinois named Spartacus.
After the dogs were picked up, police said the handlers observed injuries related to an e-collar on Daisy’s neck.
The K-9 was immediately taken to a veterinarian for treatment, where they discovered that she also had other medical conditions requiring care.
Authorities then initiated an investigation, which led to the three charges against Acosta, one of them being a felony.
“This situation involving Daisy is appalling. She is a part of the PGPD family. I expect that all of our handlers treat their canine partners with the utmost care and concern. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first incident of animal mistreatment in the 60-year history of the Canine Section,” said Police Chief Malik Aziz.
“We have now put new policies into place with the intention of this being both the first and last. This investigation is in the early stages and will be thorough. I too want to know how this occurred. In the meantime, I’m glad to report that Daisy is doing well and back to work. Bloodhounds play a crucial role in our agency’s service to the community, primarily with assisting in searches for missing people,” Aziz added.
The agency said Daisy and Spartacus were removed from Acosta’s care and permanently reassigned to two veteran handlers within the section.
Officials said Acosta, who joined the department in 2006, has been suspended without pay.
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