A Florida man sparked outrage after he was caught on viral video punching and smacking his dog.
Boynton Beach Police said a resident informed them of a 'deeply concerning video' showing a man punching a dog in Intracoastal Park.
The video shows the owner with a puppy on a leash, as he leans over the cowering canine. He then slaps and punches her from above several times.
The footage sparked outrage, and cops went to the park to investigate before turning the case over to animal cruelty investigators.
Stacey Rybak, the onlooker who tipped the cops, said she spotted the dog running loose shortly before the man pulled up in a car.
He then started hitting the dog as he walked back to his car.
Stacey said:
"The owner bent down and grabbed the harness and just started to beat the dog."
"To see a grown man punch a poor helpless dog – I was in shock."
She added that the man had hit the dog with far more violence when he first found her. She couldn't believe catching him on camera hitting the animal a second time, walking away.
She added:
"What I got on video was not near as bad as the first time I wasn't able to record."
After calling 911, the officers tracked the owner and the dog.
Meanwhile, after interviewing the owner, the officers took the pooch, Addison, a 2-year-old pit-lab mix, to a vet's office for examining.
She will remain in the custody of local animal control.
Following the horrific incident, an animal activist interviewed the dog owner, who apologized for his actions.
He said:
"I understand what I did was not right, and I regret it. It's a life lesson, and the dog is not injured, the dog loves me to death, and I love her to death. So it's a situation I have to deal with."
The pooch owner said that his dog had stopped to play with a smaller dog. However, he was afraid she might hurt that dog.
When he finally caught up with her, he started punching her.
He said:
"There's no question I was wrong for what I did, but they didn't understand the circumstances."
"I have another dog and a parrot. I know Adi wants to come home and be with my wife and us."
Let's hope this poor puppy finds a new home with a human worthy of her.
