K9's Injuries Lead To Animal Cruelty Charges Against PGPD Officer

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — A police officer faces three animal cruelty charges after handlers who picked up a dog assigned to him noticed she was injured.

Prince George's Corporal David Acosta, who is assigned to the canine section, has been charged in the mistreatment of 2-year-old Daisy, a bloodhound, who works for the police department.

On July 14, the department suspended Acosta for an unrelated incident. As part of that suspension process, two canine section handlers were ordered to retrieve Daisy and Acosta’s second dog, a Belgian Malinois named Spartacus. After the dogs were picked up, the handlers observed injuries related to an e-collar on Daisy’s neck. She was taken to a veterinarian for treatment. It was discovered that Daisy also had other medical conditions that required medical care, the police department stated.

The PGPD Internal Affairs Division began an investigation that resulted in the charges against Acosta who joined the PGPD in 2006. He is currently assigned to the special operations division. One of the three charges against Acosta is a felony and he will be suspended without pay, PGPD reported.

“This situation involving Daisy is appalling. She is a part of the PGPD family. I expect that all of our handlers treat their canine partners with the utmost care and concern. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first incident of animal mistreatment in the 60-year history of the canine section. We have now put new policies into place with the intention of this being both the first and last. This investigation is in the early stages and will be thorough. I, too, want to know how this occurred. In the meantime, I’m glad to report that Daisy is doing well and back to work. Bloodhounds play a crucial role in our agency’s service to the community, primarily with assisting in searches for missing people,” said Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz .

Daisy and Spartacus have been removed from Acosta’s care and permanently reassigned to two veteran handlers within the section, the police department disclosed. In addition, Special Operation Division Commanders developed and immediately implemented new policies to ensure the well-being of all canines moving forward:

Weekly Visual Inspections:

• Each canine sergeant conducts a detailed visual inspection of every canine under their unit’s assignment on a weekly basis.
• The inspection covers grooming, coat condition, eyes, ears, nose, paw pads, teeth, weight and mobility.
• Findings must be documented

Bi-Monthly In-Depth Inspections:

• Will be conducted during Wednesday training sessions by the canine training staff.
• In addition to the elements covered in the weekly inspection, this session includes a more detailed assessment of training aides (such as remote collars, muzzles, harnesses, leashes) and the canine vehicle transportation area.
• Findings must be documented

Bi-Annual Kennel Inspections:

• Scheduled bi-annually, inspections are conducted for all canine residential kennels within the unit’s jurisdiction.
• Findings must be documented

This remains an active internal investigation. Anyone who has information relevant to this investigation is asked to contact police at 301-516-5721.