A 23-year-old man was arrested on Thursday after authorities said he beat a 5-month-old goldendoodle, which lead to the dog’s death.
Robert William Garon is facing a charge of cruelty to animals. Authorities say this is the second dog in five months to die in his care.
A judge set bail for Garon at $150,000 during a first appearance hearing on Friday afternoon. Garon’s attorneys asked for $10,000. Garon has also been ordered not to have any pets or contact witnesses.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office called this one of the worst cases of animal abuse they have seen.
“This dog’s death was caused by non-accidental blunt force trauma to the head and body,” a prosecutor said during the hearing. “Physical examination of the external and internal anatomy revealed multiple purposeful blunt force trauma injury to the abdomen, lumbar region and head.”
According to an arrest report from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, the dog, called Buzz Lightyear, was taken to the Emergency Pet Hospital on July 29 after it was lethargic, couldn’t pick up its head, and couldn’t stand.
An examination showed the dog had bruising to the right ear and the mouth. X-rays also showed contusions to the lung.
The dog may have died of a “possible brain bleed.”
The staff called authorities to report the dog’s injury and death.
Garon’s “torment killed the canine,” the report states.
Two witnesses told authorities that Garon, while intoxicated, locked himself into a room and beat the dog. They said they heard the dog “yelping and crying out in pain and heard ‘the suspect beating the canine to death.'”
The witnesses said the door was locked and they could not enter the room, but the beating continued for several minutes until the crying stopped.
The suspect’s girlfriend told authorities she believes Garon killed the dog. She became concerned after arriving home and finding the dog near death.
During an interview with authorities, Garon denied the allegations of animal abuse. He also denied having a substance abuse problem, which witnesses said he had.
Garon remains in custody at the Collier County Jail.