A 43-year-old woman was taken into custody Thursday after police said she abandoned her dog outside a Clearwater business during the cold weather, according to a Pinellas County arrest affidavit.
According to records, Bonnie Lee Herbert and her 4-year-old Shiba Inu went to a company at 700 Eldridge Street around 5:50 p.m. on January 29, 2026. According to investigators, Herbert tied the dog to a chair outside the business and left it unattended in public.
According to the affidavit, the dog was left for roughly four hours without food or water while temperatures were around 54 degrees, with a low of 46 degrees expected later that evening.
A message left with the dog requested that someone care for the animal and mentioned that it had been spayed and microchipped. d.
According to police, Herbert did not contact restaurant workers or seek permission before leaving the dog. When Herbert returned to the area, staff workers phoned 911.
According to the report, an officer contacted Herbert, who stated both before and after being notified of her rights that she abandoned the dog because she was terrified of animal care difficulties.
According to the affidavit, the dog was at risk of neglect if workers and police did not intervene. The animal was sent to a nearby veterinarian for treatment and care.
Herbert was arrested on January 29, 2026, and charged with abandonment of animals, a first-degree misdemeanor in Florida.