Deputies investigate after seven puppies abandoned at Weeki Wachee Dollar General

Seven puppies left at a Dollar General near Weeki Wachee Springs have triggered a Hernando County Sheriff’s Office investigation, with deputies now working to identify who abandoned them and where the animals came from.

As of the report, the sheriff’s office had not publicly identified the owner. No breed, ages or condition were listed in the available information, but deputies’ appeal for help puts the case squarely in the public-safety and animal-welfare lane that Hernando County has seen before.

The county’s Animal Services division, based at 19450 Oliver Street in Brooksville, handles lost and found pets for the sheriff’s office and asks residents who find animals to report them, scan for microchips and check whether the pet has any ID. The office lists Director David Paloff and a phone number of 352-796-5062 for lost-and-found pet support, and it directs finders to use its pet reporting system.

That local response matters in a county where abandonment cases have repeatedly escalated into larger rescue operations. In February, deputies rescued 31 cats from a foreclosed home in Spring Hill, and several needed treatment for upper respiratory infections and eye conditions. In April 2025, deputies removed 30 dogs from a Weeki Wachee home, and the owner was charged with animal cruelty and aggravated animal cruelty.

Those cases show why investigators treat abandoned-animal complaints as more than a roadside nuisance. In Hernando County, a tip can quickly turn into evidence, especially when the animals are left at a public business and deputies have to sort out whether the abandonment was deliberate, whether the animals were dumped from a vehicle or whether anyone nearby saw a person at the scene.

Sheriff Al Nienhuis and deputies are counting on that kind of help now. Anyone who saw suspicious activity near the Dollar General or knows who may have left the puppies can contact Hernando County Crime Stoppers or Animal Services. For a county that has already seen major cruelty cases in Weeki Wachee and Spring Hill, the outcome of this investigation could determine whether the person responsible faces criminal charges and whether the puppies are moved into care before their condition worsens.