This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

A Florida man is facing animal cruelty charges after being caught on video abusing his dogs on more than one occasion. We need your help to ensure justice is served and maximum penalties are imposed.

On May 28, the North Miami Police Department got reports of suspected animal cruelty and attempted to investigate, but were unable to reach the offender, who was identified as Juan Pablo Gaviria Arce.

A witness had caught him on video repeatedly shoving a broomstick into a crate with two dogs. On May 30, he was arrested and charged with two counts of animal cruelty.

According to local media, the arrest report also said that a previous video taken on May 1 showed him grabbing and lifting one of his dogs into the air and “punching the dog with a closed fist 10 times,” while a witness said the dog's yelping could be heard from a block away.

Gaviria Arce had the audacity to try to convince officers that he was punching a stuffed animal, but later admitted that he was, indeed, punching a live dog, saying his anger overtook him. He also later conceded that attacking the two dogs with the broomstick was unnecessary.

He was held on a $5,000 bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Miami-Dade Animal Services has since taken custody of both dogs.

Letter to Decision Maker(s) for reference:

Subject: Man Who Punched and Jabbed Dogs With a Broomstick Must Serve Time

I am writing to you to support the maximum prosecution of Juan Pablo Gaviria Arce who was arrested and charged with animal cruelty after being recorded brutally and repeatedly punching one dog almost half a dozen times and less than a month later jabbing two dogs with a broomstick through the wire mesh of metal cage in which he cruelly confined them together. I thank you for your service to the justice system and ask that it be kept in mind that unrestrained rage seems to be reaching epidemic proportions and that the justice system is one critical tool that serves as a deterrent.

I’ll be following this case to its fruition and hope to learn that John Pablo Gaviria Acrce spent the maximum allowable time in jail, received a mental health evaluation, anger management, and a prohibition on his engaging with animals for any reason.

Thanks so very much.

Signed

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.