Man faces three animal cruelty charges after leaving dogs in poor conditions

LEE COUNTY, Florida. The Cape Coral Police Department arrested and charged the man with three counts of aggravated animal cruelty.

On January 31, law enforcement officers initiated a vehicle stop with several traffic violations. Officials identified the driver as Anthony Alexio Tatum. When the officers approached the car, Tatum immediately argued and ignored the officer’s order.

Continuing to defy police orders, officers used a department-issued glass breaker to smash car windows to allow them to drag Tatum out of the car and handcuff him.

An inspection of the car showed that Tatum had three dogs in the back of the truck in a covered kennel surrounded by plywood and wrapped in a tarp. The bad environment made the dogs clearly uncomfortable. Officials also said the dogs, covered in feces, had bloodied mouths as they tried to escape.

All three dogs were placed in the care of Lee County Pet Services. Tatum was also taken to the Lee County Jail and charged with non-violent resisting, denial of vehicle registration, and three counts of aggravated animal cruelty.