A Florida man was found and arrested on animal cruelty charges this week, after allegedly muzzling, tying up, and abandoning his German Shepherd along a desolate road in Florida.
Yunio Lopez, 37, of West Palm Beach traveled to Martin County with the intent of leaving his German shepherd behind, tying the dog up and muzzling it, according to deputies.
Lopez was arrested and booked into Martin County jail on Friday.
“He couldn’t eat, drink or bark, and he was too weak to free himself from what was close to being his painful final hours tied to a fence on a road less traveled,” the Martin County Sheriff’s Office described the dog known as “Maverick” in a now-deleted Facebook post. “It is unclear how long Maverick suffered without food and water, but we do know that MCSO Animal Services Officer Tabitha Queen and Detective Christine Polizzi didn’t let his suffering go without a thorough investigation.”
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Florida law says “a person who unnecessarily overloads, overdrives, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance or shelter” any animal could face a first-degree misdemeanor charge and up to a $5,000 fine.
Since his rescue, the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast worked to save Maverick and he is doing well in their custody.
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