Overview
- Deputies arrested John Burt Sparhawk, 62, on Thursday on an animal cruelty warrant in Jensen Beach, and he was later released.
- The case began April 28 after neighbors reported a puppy screaming and said they saw Sparhawk lift it by the leash and choke it.
- A deputy rushed the five-month-old, named Inga, to an emergency vet, where staff said a seizure-like episode was caused by cocaine exposure.
- Veterinarians noted the dog’s pupils were blown, a sign of stimulant intoxication that can appear in both animals and people.
- Inga is now in protective custody with the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, and deputies trespassed Sparhawk from the shelter after staff reported threats as investigators work to determine how the exposure happened.