DAYTONA BEACH — A dog was confiscated from a homeless man after a witness reported seeing him kicking the dog in the head and body and pulling it by its ears, police said.
Dean Sullivan, 53, was charged with a misdemeanor count of animal cruelty and animal control took possession of the dog after the suspect relinquished ownership, according to the Daytona Beach Police Department.
A witness, Diana Vontevener, said she saw Sullivan sitting on the steps outside her law office in the 200 block of Seabreeze Boulevard abusing the dog, police said.
She told police police that after Sullivan kicked the dog in the head and pulled it by the ears, he kicked the animal in its ribs. Afterward, the dog was crying for about five minutes, according to a police report.
Vontevener confronted Sullivan, who told her, "This is my dog and I can do whatever the (expletive deleted) I want," the report stated. Vontevener did not immediately respond to a phone message Wednesday.
Sullivan told police the dog had been aggressive with him, but police said they observed the dog looking "very timid" and had its tail tucked between its rear legs.
No injuries were found on the dog, according to the report.
Sullivan's listed address was 340 North St., the address for Halifax Urban Ministries, an organization that provides shelter and other assistance to homeless families.
Police said they discovered Sullivan had an active warrant for failure to appear in court related to a misdemeanor charge of having an open container of alcohol in public.
As of Wednesday, he remained at the Volusia County Branch Jail on $600 bail.
DON'T MISS AN EPISODE, SUBSCRIBE: iTunes |Google Play