Firefighters save threatened dog; suspect arrested

Warning: Some readers may find this post disturbing.

A 46-year-old man is accused of abusing a dog on the railroad tracks that run next to the San Carlos Fire Station.

On Thursday, deputies arrived on the scene and identified the main suspect as Anthony Victor Dillon and the witness as Lt. Kolin Manning of the San Carlos Fire Station.

According to the police report, Manning said that he was inside the fire station when he witnessed Dillon by the railroad tracks with a bike attached to a trailer.

Manning explained that he saw Dillon take the black dog, named Bob, out of the trailer and strike it. Dillon then put an orange strap around Bob’s head and pulled it by the head, tightening the collar and punching it in the head twice.

Manning stated he walked out of his office and yelled for Dillon to stop, which he did. Dillon then asked Manning and the other firefighters for water for Bob. Manning provided the dog with water and ice to cool its body temperature down, afraid the dog might get heat exhaustion.

“We probably put about 40 pounds of ice on him just to try and cool him down quickly,” said firefighter Colton Hardy, who was also on the scene. “Towards the end of the time that we were with him, when domestic animal services came, he started moving a lot more, his breathing slowed down, and the last we heard is that he was doing better and getting the treatment that he needed.”

Bob was transported to Blue Pearl Animal Hospital for treatment.

Dillon, meanwhile, was transported to Lee County Jail without incident and eventually charged with animal abuse.