Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A man was arrested after he allegedly placed a dog in a garbage bag in a dumpster at a Family Dollar in Lehigh Acres, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Employees at the store found a bag in the dumpster on Thursday and noticed it was moving, deputies said. The employees opened the bag to find a 16-year-old Shih Tzu dog with a rope around its neck.
The employees rushed the dog, Xyla, to an animal hospital.
Anthony Bellman was allegedly seen on surveillance video removing the trash bag from his trunk and putting it in the dumpster, according to deputies.
Deputies used the dog’s microchip to determine that its owners had died, and the investigation led them to Bellman’s house.
Deputies found the same car that was seen in surveillance video in the driveway of the home, and Bellman was seen wearing the same outfit as the surveillance video, according to the sheriff’s office.
“We are ONE team that comes together to be a voice for the innocent, such as Xyla,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a statement. “We will never stop holding individuals accountable for these heinous actions here in this county.”
After being interviewed, Bellman was charged with aggravated animal cruelty and, if convicted, he’ll be placed on the Lee County Animal Abuse Registry.
