DBPD: Daytona Man Charged With Animal Cruelty For Kicking & Beating His Dog

Posted

Daytona Beach, FL - A Daytona Beach man was arrested on Tuesday after police say he kicked and beat his dog outside of a Daytona law office. Daytona Beach police responded to 227 Seabreeze Blvd. at around 12:06 PM after a woman said she saw a man pulling his dog's ears and kicking the dog in the head and ribs. The witness said the small, mixed breed dog was whimpering and had his tail tucked between his legs, according to arrest reports. When police questioned the dog's owner, 53-year-old Dean Sullivan, Sullivan claimed that the dog was acting aggressively and that he was pulling the dog's ears to avoid being bitten. Reports say Sullivan had told the witness "this is my dog," and Sullivan said he was entitled to do whatever he wanted. Officers discovered that Sullivan had an active warrant for failure to appear on charges of possession of an open container of alcohol in public. He was taken into custody and is also charged with animal cruelty. According to arrest reports, Sullivan willingly relinquished ownership of the dog and turned the dog over to DBPD Animal Control.

(Sullivan's mugshot courtesy Volusia County Jail) 

Featured photo of the dog in story courtesy Daytona Beach Police Department. Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2018.