TAMPA, Fla. — Two dogs are recovering after they were found neglected and abandoned in Hillsborough County.
"They were heavily matted with dreadlocks," said Heather Viviano, board member of Love 4 Paws. "The male had dreads, like, hanging from his lips. I mean, you know, it was like, almost like tumors."
Both dogs, poodle mixes now named Juno and Moon, were also severely underweight.
It's not a unique story. Viviano estimates she has rescued more than 70 abandoned dogs in the past year.
"It's generally poodles and doodles. So some sort of poodle mixes," Viviano said. "I think golden doodles and all doodles in general are being overbred and oversold. They're very popular. So I think, maybe there's some greed going on with the breeders."
Viviano said the dogs are most often found off the beaten path and out of sight.
"A lot out in Hernando County. Because there's a lot of rural areas up there. Also, places like Thonotosassa, where [Moon and Juno] were found is also rural. So, whoever's doing this tends to just pick those outskirts," Viviano said.
The Humane Society of Tampa Bay says they're seeing abandoned dogs nearly every week.
"We're seeing an increase in abandoned dogs," Humane Society of Tampa Bay marketing director Regan Blessinger said. "Dogs that have been put out on the street, not brought to a shelter. It's happening more and more."
A spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is aware of the trend, and said in a statement, "We're observing a concerning pattern of animal abandonment."
Currently, animal abandonment in Florida is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
Viviano believes the penalties should be stronger. Now, she and other animal advocates are banding together and have created the "Florida Animal Abuse Coalition" to ask for stronger laws protecting animals.
"We do need stricter laws in place, and then we do need someone to investigate this and catch these people. Someone needs to figure out where all these dogs are coming from," said Viviano.
Moon and Juno are still recovering, but they should be well enough to be adopted in a month or two. If you're interested, you can reach out to Love 4 Paws by clicking here.