Burning a dog alive certainly would qualify as a criminal charge of animal cruelty and a man from Miami is facing that charge after he hurt an innocent Boxer dog named Courage. The offender is a 29-year-old from North Miami who was booked into the Miami-Dade County Jail after being suspected of felony animal cruelty.
The young man is being held on a $5,000 bond and it is not known whether or not the offender has an attorney. The dog was owned by a woman who was also cited for animal cruelty in the past. Poor Courage was discovered in a North Miami home with burns all across his back. The police took the dog to an animal hospital to be treated for his injuries.
The dog has since been placed in an animal shelter where he is awaiting a loving home from a person that won’t inflict pain upon him. Many people forget that the charges for animal cruelty are serious. According to the ASPCA, those in Florida who inflict injury or harm on their animal can be cited for domestic violence in some cases. In other cases, those who inflict harm on a dumb creature can be given a misdemeanor.
This is upheld in the Florida Penal Code under § 828.01. Cruelty can take on many forms, from torment to a deprivation of shelter and sustenance. When a person unnecessarily mutilates his or her pet, or kills any animal, then this is also considered animal cruelty. Those who transport their animal illegal in a vehicle can be cited with animal cruelty in Florida, and those who overdrive their animals can also be punished. If you have been charged with animal cruelty in Miami, then you need legal representation you can rely on to come alongside you and defend you. Talk to a criminal defense attorney at our firm today for more information.