Man who allegedly slammed dog into ground, breaking its pelvis, arrested
MONROE COUNTY, Fla. (FOX 35 WOFL) - A man who allegedly picked up a small dog and slammed it into the ground, breaking the dog's pelvis, has been arrested in Monroe County.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office says that the suspect, 35-year-old Sean Booth Chidester, of Marathon is accused injuring the dog after getting into an altercation with the owner. The owner, who called deputies to a veterinary hospital, was getting her miniature pinscher checked for injuries when she told staff that the dog was unable to stand on its hind legs and was shaking a lot. She went on to tell the responding deputies that she got into an altercation with Chidester the night before.
The owner, according to the sheriff's office, went on to say that Chidester picked up Penny above his head with arms fully extended and slammed the dog to the ground from the top of a set of stairs. The woman estimated the dog fell about ten feet in total.
X-rays taken of the dog reportedly showed that there were multiple fractures of the dog's pelvis. The vet added that the dog may have suffered long-term nerve damage and may not be able to urinate on its own and may need a catheter.
The Monroe County Sheriff's Office says that Chidester was spotted by a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) officer in Marathon on Tuesday night. The trooper stopped the vehicle and detained Chidester via the warrant regarding the animal cruelty case stated. He was transferred to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office custody without incident and taken to jail.
Chidester has an extensive arrest history, according to the sheriff's office. His arrests span more than 15 years in three states and his last arrest was in Monroe County when he was charged with aggravated battery, in which he knew or should have known the victim or pregnant.
See the full Facebook post reporting the arrest below.