BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Deputies arrested a central Broward man Tuesday after they said he chained a border collie to a vehicle and bound it with duct tape because it, among other things, barked too loudly.
Authorities said Jose Humberto Arana Ramos, 74, left the dog in that state for about an hour with no food or water available outside of his apartment in the unincorporated Broadview Park area.
“He just got frustrated, you know?” Ramos’ daughter told Local 10 News’ Samiar Nefzi. “I’m disappointed, but you can’t really control an old person.”
A Broward Sheriff’s Office arrest report states that deputies responded to the 4100 block of Southwest 21st Street after receiving a Crime Stoppers tip that a dog was tied up to a vehicle and lying underneath.
BSO Deputy Nicholas Marciante wrote that he arrived at the home to find the dog lying under the vehicle with its mouth and front paws duct-taped.
The report states that Arana Ramos’ ex-wife, whom he lives with, owns the dog and came out to ask what was happening.
The woman told Marciante that Arana Ramos tied the dog’s mouth shut because it “was barking too loud” and tied its front paws “because he will scratch the car when tied to it,” the deputy wrote.
According to the report, she later said that “Jose is not fond of animals and often complains of having them within the home as they shed too much.”
“When asked why the dog was tied to a vehicle, she stated that he eats the plants in front of the home and tears up the yard,” Marciante wrote.
The deputy wrote that once the dog was removed from under the car and freed, he noticed a “large abrasion” on the dog’s hind leg, “causing him to limp and not put any pressure on it.”
Authorities arrested Arana Ramos on a charge of aggravated animal cruelty. He remained in the BSO Main Jail on a $10,000 bond as of Wednesday afternoon after appearing in court.
The dog has since been placed in the custody of Broward County Animal Care.
“He is receiving medical care from our veterinary services team and reacclimating to life,” Philip Goen, an animal care field supervisor, said. “We’re gonna give them the best life we can give them and get them into a new home.”
Local 10 News received video taken by a neighbor that shows what appears to be a woman repeatedly striking and hitting the dog with a blunt object and even stomping on him.
Arana Ramos’ ex-wife later told Local 10 News that her ex-husband is a good man.
Editor’s note: The original version of this article misstated that the dog was in the care of the Broward County Humane Society. The article has been corrected to note that the dog was placed into the custody of Broward County Animal Care.