A Florida man was arrested last week after dumping his old dog in a dumpster behind a store. Anthony Bellman, 55, had convinced his relatives that he would take their 16-year-old shih tzu to the shelter, but he put the half-blind Xyla in a garbage bag and literally threw the dog away. Store employees saw everything happen and were able to save the animal.
Lee County deputies took the dog to the vet, where Xyla’s chip was read while the shih tzu was cared for. This is how the police tracked down 55-year-old Bellman. When the man was arrested, he was still wearing the same outfit as in the images taken behind the store.
“He literally threw away a life, but we were able to sort through this piece of trash and give him a ride to jail,” said Sheriff Carmine Marceno, who struggled to control his anger as he gave a news conference about Bellman’s arrest. “Such images make me sick. No living being deserves to be treated like this.”
The dog is doing well and will soon be available for adoption, it said. Bellman is now charged with animal cruelty and was released on bail.
Xyla was shoved into a garbage bag and thrown away
The dog was treated by a vet and is back on track