PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — The State Attorney’s Office is not filing charges against the owner of dogs that killed a woman in August 2022 in Putnam County.
Pamela Rock, 61, was delivering mail in Interlachen when five dogs got loose and attacked her.
The State Attorney’s office said Edgar Jowers won’t be charged in the death of Rock because he tried to surrender his dogs to Putnam County Animal Control before the attack and never heard back.
Plus, they said Jowers tried his best to fortify the fence the dogs escaped from.
Former Putnam County Commissioner Jeff Rawls said he doesn’t think the blame of Rock’s death falls completely on animal control.
He said there’s a matter of personal responsibility and the county not sufficiently funding the department.
“Last time I checked,” Rawls said. “The facility was overrun with dogs and cats, and it’s going to be a continual problem. As the county starts to grow, the budget needs to grow in order to maintain services at a certain level.”
During its investigation, the State Attorney’s Office found when the same dogs attacked a man in February 2022, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office told Jowers animal control would follow up with him.
Animal control told the State Attorney’s office they never received a report about it from the sheriff’s office.
“The first step would be to engage the county staff, form a budget that everybody can live with, but they’ll be able to provide the necessary services and when somebody does reach out like that, be able to respond and if necessary, take control of an animal,” Rawls said.
Canine aggression expert Jim Crosby has worked with Putnam County Animal Control in the past.
He said they are “pathetically” funded and don’t have the necessary resources to deal with situations like this.
“They don’t want the euthanasia figures to show that they’re killing animals,” Crosby said. “The problem is some of those animals are a danger to the public.”
Jowers could not be reached for comment. Chairman of the Board of Putnam County Commissioners Larry Harvey did not respond to First Coast News requests for comment.
In a statement, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said they “determined a second degree misdemeanor charge was appropriate action at the time. It is horrific circumstance when a life is tragically lost.”
The U.S. Postal Service declined to comment on the State Attorney’s office “activities,” but said they continue “to be deeply saddened at the loss of our employee.”