Brothers charged with animal cruelty in North Port after tip from PETA over Pit bull treatment
Photo courtesy: North Port Police Department
NORTH PORT, Fla. - Two brothers were arrested in North Port and charged with animal cruelty after police received a tip from PETA regarding a procedure done on a Pit bull puppy.
According to the North Port Police Department, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) submitted a tip to them in July which included a video of a small Pit bull puppy having its ears cropped without anesthesia.
The video NPPD received showed that the animal lost an excessive amount of blood from the cutting, and the two brothers witnessed the incident and failed to act.
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On Monday, police executed a search warrant in the 4000 block of Baynes Road in North Port in connection to the incident. They arrested Merald and Matthew Onyemaechi and charged them with Aggravated Animal Cruelty.
The dog did survive the procedure, according to police, and officers removed five dogs from the home on Monday. Sarasota County Animal Services took the animals for safekeeping.
The two men are being held in the Sarasota County Jail on $50,000 bond and will not be allowed to house animals.
"It’s hard to see such an act occur which caused so much pain to a young animal," said North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison. "We love our four-legged friends, and this type of act towards animals will not be tolerated in North Port."