Clearwater Police Department
CLEARWATER, Fla. - A Florida man arrested after kicking a puppy in the face at a beach on Monday told police that he was upset with the pup for eating food that didn’t belong to it, authorities said.
Multiple witnesses at Clearwater Beach also saw 20-year-old Noah Counts drag the 3-month-old puppy by its leash and throw the small dog over a wall, Clearwater police said.
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When officers confronted Counts, police said they found a charcoal grill, which is illegal at the beach, and two open containers of alcohol, which violates a city ordinance.
Police said that having a dog at the beach also violated a city ordinance.
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Counts was taken into custody and booked into the Pinellas County Jail on a charge of cruelty to animals, police said.
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