FORT MYERS, Fla. – A Florida man may never be able to own a dog again, after horrifying video shows him stomping and kicking his own dog.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said Beckham Mcleod, 20, is the man in the video, violently beating his dog King.
The video shows Mcleod scolding King before kicking him in the chest and aggressively pulling him on his leash and dragging him.
Deputies said witnesses also saw him stomping on King’s face.
The incident happened in broad daylight at an apartment complex in Fort Myers on Tuesday.
Several witnesses called 911 and within minutes, deputies arrived at Mcleod’s door and removed King from the home.
The blue-nosed Pitbull was taken to an animal hospital where a vet discovered bruising and swelling where he had been kicked.
Deputies questioned Mcleod and he said he was “just disciplining his dog.”
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno did not hold back during a press conference on Wednesday about the incident.
“While the recording may have stopped, it’s disgusting. It saddens me and sickens me. We are not going to tolerate that.”
Mcleod was booked into jail on aggravated cruelty charges.
If convicted, his name will be placed in an abuse registry which is meant to prevent him from owning another pet again.
He ultimately surrendered King, who will remain in the care of the Lee County Domestic Animals Service until he finds a loving home.