Woman Arrested – She Left Two Dogs to Die in Hot Storage Unit

Bunnell, Florida – On Sunday, a Palm Coast woman was arrested after police found two dead Labrador retrievers in a storage unit. According to the Bunnell Police Department, 21-year-old Alexia Veronica Barquet unlocked a storage unit in the 500 block of East Court Street for officers who had responded to the facility after another tenant reported a foul odor coming from one of the units.

In a release, the authorities described the unit’s interior, writing:

Inside, officers found a floor covered with dog feces, trash, and debris. A portable cooling unit appeared to be running but produced no cool air, and officers reported the unit’s interior felt no cooler than the outside temperature. The heat index was approximately 96 degrees. Officers also found no water in the dogs’ dishes.

Adding:

The officers found two deceased female black Labrador retrievers: Ava, 5, and Karma, 2. Karma was found on the floor near a door, while Ava’s remains had been placed inside a black plastic bag. Barquet told officers she discovered Ava deceased earlier in the week, placed her into a plastic bag, and left her remains inside the unit. She said she last checked Karma on Friday, July 17, and provided food and water at that time.

According to the release, Barquet had been warned by Flagler Animal Services not to leave her dogs in the storage unit back in March.

“This is a disgusting case of animal cruelty, and these dogs died in a condition no animal should ever face,” said Bunnell Police Chief David Brannon. “Animals depend entirely upon their owners for food, clean water, safe shelter, exercise, medical attention, and protection from dangerous conditions. Owning an animal carries a serious responsibility—one no person can ignore or set aside when providing care becomes difficult. Animal cruelty has no place in Bunnell, and our department maintains zero tolerance for anyone who abuses, neglects, or abandons an animal. When someone violates this fundamental duty and causes suffering or death, our officers will investigate thoroughly, follow the evidence, and relentlessly pursue full accountability under Florida law.”

Barquet was taken to the Flagler County Inmate Facility on wwo counts of aggravated animal cruelty involving excessive pain or death, in violation of Florida Statute 828.12(2) – felonies, and two counts involving confinement or abandonment of animals without adequate food, water, exercise, or air, in violation of Florida Statute 828.13(2)(b) – misdemeanors.
Her bond was set at $6,000.00.