Florida man almost beats dog to death as he 'got mad,' charged with animal cruelty on August 21
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA: A Florida man has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty after he almost beat his tiny dog to death.
James Michael Lyster, 52, beat the pomeranian so mercilessly that blood was splattered in three of the rooms of his house.
Fortunately, the dog, Benji, is expected to make a full recovery despite its grievous injuries, per Law & Crime.
James Michael Lyster hit the Pomeranian because he 'got mad'
Sheriff Carmine Marceno, on behalf of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, said in a press conference that the incident happened in the wee hours of Monday, August 21.
LCSO officers received a noise complaint from Park Crest Apartments in Fort Meyers, Florida.
The person who made the call at 3 am said that they could hear yelling and banging along with a dog squealing in pain from a neighboring apartment.
When officers reached, they encountered a horrifying scene.
The Sheriff said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference, “At the front door, deputies observed blood spatter on the ground leading to that apartment.”
He continued, “The suspect eventually opened the door, and when asked if he had a dog, the suspect dropped an 8-year-old Pomeranian without saying one word.”
He went on to describe the gruesome torture the hapless animal endured.
He said, “The shaking dog’s face was covered in blood, and it was actively bleeding from its nose, and it was so injured that it could not stand.”
When Lyster was asked by the deputies the reason for his actions, he allegedly replied, “I got mad.”
The deputies later found blood splattered on the walls in Lyster’s bathroom, living room and master bedroom.
The sheriff said, “Blood was splattered across the wall where Lyster had kicked Benji into it.”
The sheriff’s office further shared that Lyster was a convicted felon with a history of criminal activity in other states.
How is the pomeranian now?
The sheriff said, “Veterinarians discovered that Benji had suffered a broken jaw, internal bleeding in his abdomen, and he will need additional surgeries in the future to remove his broken teeth.”
However, Marceno said that the dog received emergency medical care as the deputies took him to the vet immediately. Benji is expected to make full recovery.
He will take some time to gain back his health. Per Wink News, Benji is now with the Lee Domestic Animal Services.
Sheriff slams Florida man for being ‘cold-hearted’
During Wednesday’s news conference, the sheriff showed a photo of Benji after he received the medical care.
Marceno said, “That picture says it all. That’s not a human being that does that to a poor, defenseless little animal.”
The visibly angry policeman said, “I can promise you this is going to stop. We will never stop working to protect those who cannot protect themselves.”
He also slammed Lyster and said, “That’s not a human being that does that. That’s a cold-hearted person that had no regard for life.”