PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. – A Broward County teacher was arrested and is facing some disturbing allegations of animal abuse.
That man, Daniel Lamont Gray, Jr., went before a judge last week, but won’t be interacting with any students for now.
Dr. Elizabeth Rosainz is a veterinarian at LeadER Animal Hospital and she got the call from police.
“I’ve seen some abuse cases but this is the worst I’ve ever seen,” she said.
Officers brought the body of the eight-month-old American Pit Bull Terrier named Jack to her office.
“There was so much blood from the oral cavity and the nasal cavity,” Rosainz said. “He had a puncture wound on the top of the head, and when we took x-rays we found rib fractures and a punctured lung.”
Police said witnesses found the dog’s body, half covered in bags and sheets, outside an apartment building at The Avant in Pembroke Pines.
Those witnesses telling officers they saw Gray going crazy on the dog outside his unit, punching him, kicking him, swinging him by his legs and body slamming him to the ground.
Police said, according to witnesses, as the dog was heard crying, Gray yelled, “You see how strong I am? This is why I keep you locked up,” before dragging the pup away and dropping him nearby.
Attorneys for Gray asked for his bond to be reduced in order for him to attend the first day of school on Tuesday.
His name is listed online as a teacher at Pine Ridge Educational Center.
The judge told Gray he was not to go back to work until further notice, and Broward County’s school system told Local 10 News that he will be relocated, for now.
It’s not clear how the dog got a perfect puncture wound to his head, but state officials are examining the body.
Broward Schools said Gray will be reassigned to a non-school site as the investigation continues.