A
Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputy’s diligence may have saved the life of a
small dog Wednesday night.
Cpl.
Jason Stauffer worked a hit-and-run crash that happened at the intersection of
I-75 and Immokalee Road around 10:20 p.m. A witness provided a license plate
number that belongs to a car owned by Daniel Stack, 24, 5194 Hemingway Circle,
Golden Gate.
After
working the crash, deputies located Stack at a 7-Eleven store at the corner of
Immokalee Road and Creekside Way at around 11:45 p.m. He eventually led them to
his vehicle, which he had left parked at some medical offices near NCH
Healthcare System North Naples Hospital. The car had front-end damage
consistent with the hit and run. Cpl. Stauffer arrested Stack and placed him in
the back seat of his patrol car.
While
waiting for a tow truck to remove Stack’s vehicle, Stauffer began to inventory
the contents of the car. When he opened the trunk he was confronted by an angry
black and tan dog, which had been left in the trunk for an undetermined amount
of time. Stauffer removed the dog from
the truck to improve its access to air. At no time had Stack mentioned that
there was a dog in the trunk.
Stack
was transported to the Naples Jail Center, where he was charged with leaving
the scene of an accident, animal cruelty and possession of marijuana under 20
grams.
The
dog was turned over to Collier County Domestic Animal Services. The staff at
DAS identified the dog as a Feist, which is a small hunting breed.
