A 30-year-old Stock Island man arrested in May on drug and gun charges was additionally charged with animal cruelty on Tuesday.
Jamie Barber was charged with cocaine trafficking, possession of weapon by a convicted felon and possession of pills without a prescription as well as possession of drug paraphernalia in May. He faces a new charge of animal cruelty.
Deputy Jenna Moeller and Deputy Lazaro Valdes were originally called to the Ninth Avenue home for a landlord/tenant dispute last month. The deputies found a .22-caliber handgun and 50 rounds of ammunition, 33 grams of cocaine two types of pills during a search in which Barber consented. Deputy Moeller also called the Florida Keys Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals after a dog was found missing fur, with long nails, living in a room with its own waste.
Barber was on probation for a previous drug conviction. He was taken to jail at that time.
The FKSPCA case into the how the dog was treated remained ongoing. An FKSPCA animal control officer told Deputy Moeller the FKSPCA removed the dog from Barber in 2015 for failure to provide proper medical care. At that time, Barber signed an order with the FKSPCA stating he would properly care for the dog. The FKSPCA eventually released the dog back to Barber, but performed welfare checks on the dog. The officer stated that Barber must have stopped providing the dog with proper care after the FKSPCA visits stopped. The officer stated the dog looked the same in May as it did in 2015 when they took the dog from Barber. The officer stated the dog was underweight and smelled of infection. The officer stated that the dog’s condition was preventable had it been properly cared for.
A veterinarian then examined the dog. The veterinarian stated the dog’s skin showed, “evidence of chronic inflammation and hair loss.” The veterinarian added the condition is most likely due to the dog’s environment and its lack of cleanliness. The veterinarian stated the dog is being treated with medicated shampoos, flea prevention, antibiotics and steroids. The veterinarian expects the dog’s skin to heal and its coat to grow back over time.
Barber remains in jail under no bail.
Anyone with information about any crimes should contact the Sheriff's Office at 305-292-7000. Callers who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-471-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and if a tip leads to an arrest in the case, the caller may be eligible for a cash reward. Tips may also be submitted online at www.floridakeyscrimestoppers.comor via a text message using the smartphone app called P3 Phone. Tips can also be submitted via social media such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the @CrimeStoppers305 hashtag.