GOLDEN GATE ESTATES, Fla. — Harry Iricarry will do anything for animals, which is why he rescues dogs he finds abandoned near his house in Golden Gate Estates.
“I give them a lot of love because they require love. I play with them… I just love dogs,” Iricarry said.
“She’s been spayed, and she has a chip, so I know they threw her out. That makes me feel bad, very bad. Because like I said, I love animals,” Iricarry said.
Most of the animals he finds are in rough shape. One of his dogs had cuts and bruises all over her face; another was skinny enough to see his ribs.
“It breaks my heart when I see a dog out there, and I know somebody threw him out,” Iricarry said.
Collier County Public Information Coordinator for Public Services Daniel Christenbury says rural areas like Golden Gate Estates are hotspots for abandoned animals, but it’s hard to find those who did it.
“It’s difficult to determine whether a dog was stray or abandoned. Unless somebody sees the act actually happening, then how do you know it’s not just a stray dog running loose,” Christenbury said.
Christenbury recommends bringing abandoned or stray animals to county shelters rather than others because some places can turn animals away.
Below is a list of some of those shelters:
Collier County Animal Services
⁃ Phone: (239) 252-7387
⁃ Website: https://www.colliercountyfl.gov/your-government/divisions-a-e/domestic-animal-services
Lee County Domestic Animal Services
⁃ Phone: (239) 533-7387
⁃ Website: https://www.leegov.com/
