The combined efforts of Sumter County Animal Services (SCAS), the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wildwood Police Department helped two dogs left orphaned and homeless upon the death of their owner. Upon contact with the Wildwood Police Department, Animal Services picked up Sydney and Cody and began the search began for next of kin.
The neighbors were unable to provide any information about the owner or family. A friend of the deceased called SCAS inquiring about the dogs. She knew of a former coworker of the deceased in Tifton, GA that was interested in providing a home for the dogs. However, she could not provide any information regarding family, next of kin, or power of attorney. SCAS personnel researched further but could not find any family through normal channels.
SCAS then reached out to the detective division at the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO). Detective Donald Fender went to work where he “utilized a Sheriff’s Office program that allows us to query a subject’s name to obtain a relative or known associates. I was able to obtain a telephone number for a subject that was related to the decedent,” Detective Fender said.
SCSO contacted local law enforcement who then contacted the relative who then reached out to Sumter County Animal Services to provide authorization for the deceased’s friend and former coworker from Tifton, GA to take ownership of Sydney and Cody.
“A seemingly impossible task was accomplished in only six days,” Monica Hall, Animal Services Manager at SCAS said. “Teamwork at SCAS and with our partners at SCSO, Wildwood Police Department and their counterparts on the east coast is commendable.”
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