DELAND, Fla. — A DeLand man faces animal cruelty and protection-order violation charges after surveillance video allegedly captured him swinging a dog by its collar and throwing it to the ground.
DeLand police responded to South Hill Avenue on Saturday evening regarding a civil complaint.
Someone at the scene told officers that 45-year-old Christopher Whitley may have violated a protection order and had been abusing his dog.
While reviewing surveillance footage connected to the protection-order complaint, officers discovered video recorded earlier that day.
According to an arrest affidavit, the dog was sitting on a golf cart outside Whitley’s home before he grabbed it by the collar, lifted it into the air, swung it and threw it.
Police said the dog landed and rolled on the ground. Whitley then allegedly walked over, grabbed the dog by its collar again and carried it into the home.
The surveillance video is included in the DeLand Police Department’s post below.
Whitley was arrested and charged with animal cruelty. Police said the video evidence also led investigators to charge him with violating a protection order.
The dog did not show any visible injuries when officers arrived, according to the affidavit.
Police took the dog to the department’s kennels because no one at the scene was available to take custody of it.
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