Man arrested for leaving dogs outside in heat for days without water in Fort Myers, 1 dies

Writer: Carolina Guzman
Published: Updated:
Thomas Byers Credit: The Lee County Sheriff’s Office

A man has been arrested after allegedly leaving two dogs outside in the heat for multiple days in Fort Myers.

According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, on Sunday, deputies responded to a home on Third Avenue to investigate an animal cruelty case where they found an unconscious Chihuahua.

Deputies tried to save the dog, but unfortunately, it did not survive.

Detectives discovered that 66-year-old Thomas Byers had been leaving the dog outside for multiple days in a kennel without food or water.

Byers was found at his home, where a second Chihuahua was found outside in a kennel.

The second puppy was surrendered.

Byers was arrested for two counts of animal cruelty.

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