‘Call the cops’: U.S. woman held captive by boyfriend slips note to veterinary staff

A woman trying to escape an abusive boyfriend left a note pleading for help while visiting a local Florida animal hospital.

The 28-year-old woman arrived at the DeLand Animal Hospital with her boyfriend and dog on Friday.

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She said she had been held captive for two days by her boyfriend, 39-year-old Jeremy Floyd, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office explained on Facebook. But she convinced him that their dog was sick and needed help.

The police statement explained that the woman was “visibly injured,” after an altercation at their home days earlier.

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“Floyd repeatedly battered her on Wednesday night, threatened her at gunpoint, and physically prevented her from leaving their home,” the post read.

While at the animal hospital, the woman asked to use the bathroom, then slipped a note to a hospital staff member: “Call the cops. My boyfriend is threatening me. He has a gun. Please don’t let him know.”

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The employee acted quickly and called police.

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According to The Washington Post, police officers arrived at the animal hospital to find Floyd with a loaded gun and the woman crying.

The man was arrested at the scene and faces several charges including domestic violence and aggravated assault with a firearm. Floyd had also been charged with crimes in the past, the newspaper reported, with some dating back to 1998. He has not been allowed bail.

The woman was taken to Florida Hospital Deland, where she was treated for a head wound, black eye, and several bruises and scratches.

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Police searched the couple’s home and found two bullet holes in the wall.

The county’s sheriff, Mike Chitwood, reacted to the woman’s story on Twitter Sunday, writing, “Thank God for the courage of this woman, the quick action of staff at DeLand Animal Hospital and the work of our deputies and DeLand PD!”