Dog owner pleads guilty to two counts of animal cruelty

BOCA RATON, Florida. The South Florida streamer pleaded guilty to two counts of animal cruelty and was sentenced to six months in prison.

Plinio Roberto De Camargo Jr., 48, of Boca Raton, filed a guilty plea Thursday at the Palm Beach County Courthouse.

County Judge Sherry Collins said two months in jail “could be on house arrest.” She also ordered 12 months’ probation after serving her sentence, as well as 100 hours of communication and a letter of apology to all victims.

Camargo was arrested on October 28, 2022.

A Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control officer received a phone call four days prior from a man about allegations of animal cruelty by a groomer at American Dog Pet Grooming in Boca Raton at the 18th Street mall. known as “The Boardwalk”.

The man, who called on behalf of his wife, who only speaks Portuguese, sent five videos to the police officer.

According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the video shows the suspect, one of the co-owners of the business, abusing dogs.

According to the arrest statement, the video footage shows Camargo “roughly” with the dogs, striking with a clenched fist, twisting the dog’s hair, lifting the dog by only holding it by the hair, and pulling the dog’s hair in a “cruel and inhuman manner.” “.

Steven Spiegel, a customer of American Dog Pet Grooming, has been taking his dog there since 2020.

“We really like the people who run it and we’re happy with the service,” Spiegel told WPTV. “I don’t think I’ll work anywhere else. They seem like good people, so I like to support them, but I would like to know more because our dog is very important to us.”

His wife and co-owner Alessandra Bresciani Barreto of Deerfield Beach was found guilty on Tuesday of five county animal welfare violations.

American Dog Pet Grooming is no longer listed as an open company.