Fla. Man Arrested After Allegedly Dumping Dog in Trash Behind Store

Anthony Bellman has been charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty

A Florida man was arrested after allegedly shoving a dog into a trash bag and tossing the animal in a dumpster behind a discount store, authorities said.

On Thursday, employees of a Family Dollar in Lehigh Acres found the 16-year-old Shih Tzu, known as Xyla, moving inside a trash bag with a rope around her neck, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted to Facebook.

The workers rushed the dog to Blue Pearl Pet Hospital while members of the sheriff’s office’s animal cruelty task force and other detectives responded to the scene.

There, authorities recovered surveillance footage that appeared to show a man arriving at the dumpster in his car. He’s then seen removing a bundled up trash bag from his trunk and then tossing it into the dumpster several feet away, according to the sheriff’s office.

As the investigation continued, detectives learned the dog was microchipped and that its original owners had died. Investigators were then led to a nearby home, where they found a vehicle matching the description of the one driven by the suspect in the surveillance footage.

Detectives made contact with the homeowner, identified as Anthony Bellman, who they claim was wearing the same clothing as the suspect in the footage.

Authorities said Bellman had allegedly told his family he was going to take the dog to be euthanized, according to WBBH-TV and the Fort Myers News-Press.

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After questioning, Bellman was charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty, authorities said. It’s unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.

In the statement, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno called Bellman “a selfish and cruel individual, who clearly has no regard for animals.”

“We are one team that comes together to be a voice for the innocent, such as Xyla,” the sheriff said. “We will never stop holding individuals accountable for these heinous actions here in this county.”

Meanwhile, the dog is recovering at Lee County Domestic Animal Services, where it will remain until it is adopted.

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