A man is facing charges after police said he was caught on camera violently abusing a service dog in two separate incidents in Boynton Beach.
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Juan Latrez Poole, 52, was arrested Monday on felony animal cruelty charges, Boynton Beach Police officials said.
Police said they began investigating on Sept. 9, after officers responded to the 2300 block of South Federal Highway for a report of a man seen lifting a black lab above his head before slamming it to the ground near a bus stop outside a Taco Bell.
The dog, Rex, was wearing a red “service dog” vest and appeared to weigh around 50 pounds.
At the time, officers weren’t able to locate the man or the dog.
But the next day, another witness reported a nearly identical incident, saying a man choked a black lab with a leash before swinging the dog in the air and hitting it with a water bottle, police said.
Officers later obtained surveillance footage of both incidents that showed the man slamming the dog to the ground, lifting it up by its neck and hitting it with the water bottle, authorities said.
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Poole was identified as a suspect and a witness picked him out of a photo lineup, police said.
Police on Wednesday released the surveillance footage as well as video showing Poole’s arrest.
He was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail. Attorney information wasn’t available.
Rex was transported to Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control and is currently looking for his forever home, police said.
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