VCSO: Edgewater Woman Charged With Animal Cruelty For Throwing Dog Into Ocean

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New Smyrna Beach, FL - An Edgewater woman was arrested for animal cruelty Monday afternoon after she was accused of throwing a dog into the ocean in New Smyrna Beach multiple times. According to reports from Volusia County Sheriff's Office, 38-year-old Christy Hopkins, of Edgewater, was watching a small, black dog for another woman. Hopkins was at the beach near Bethune Beach Park with the dog. A witness, Betsy Grindle, who lives at a nearby condo, reported that the woman, later identified as Hopkins, appeared to be trying to drown the dog. Grindle said that Hopkins had the dog on a leash and was "slinging the dog around, throwing it into the ocean in water that was clearly over the dog's head" and then pulling the dog back out of the ocean and dragging the dog around on the beach, according to arrest reports. Hopkins allegedly did this several times. Volusia County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene at 6656 Turtlemound Rd. at around 3 PM Monday. When Hopkins was questioned, she first told deputies that the dog was hers and that she was just "having fun" with the dog. She claimed the dog was never in any danger. Hopkins later told deputies that she watches the dog for a woman who is suffering from an illness. Hopkins was taken into custody and held on $1,000 bond, and the dog was taken to the Southeast Volusia Humane Society while deputies attempted to contact the owner.

(Hopkins's mugshot courtesy Volusia County Jail)

NOTE: Dog in the featured photo is not the dog mentioned in the story. Photo courtesy tetxu and Shutterstock.com Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2018.