Honk News – (Kissimmee, FL) – A man in Florida faces charges of animal cruelty after surveillance footage reportedly showed him slamming a one-year-old puppy onto a concrete surface.
On December 27, police in Osceola County took Marco Zuluaga, 28, into custody following reports of a “animal complaint” at a Kissimmee apartment complex. The arrest warrant reveals that the apartment management provided surveillance footage from the previous day, which captured a man named Zuluaga with a small dog.
A sound is audible off-camera and is “consistent with someone slamming something against a hard surface.” Zuluaga reappears with the dog and forcefully tosses her down onto the concrete floor outside the apartment. A dog is heard yelping in distress before it runs off.
On December 30, Sheriff Marcos Lopez of Osceola County held a press conference to announce the arrest and share updates regarding the case. He explained that Zuluaga’s aggression towards the dog was due to an incident on the carpet indoors. Lopez revealed that away from the cameras, Zuluaga forcefully hit the dog against the balcony railing and considered tossing her from the third floor.
Lopez stated that the force Zuluaga used to throw the dog to the ground was so intense that he injured his own shoulder. The dog bounced off the surface after making contact.
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He stated, “The amount of force he uses is just disgusting and disturbing and unacceptable, and it’s a miracle that he didn’t kill this dog.”
An Australian shepherd puppy named Lilly was taken to the vet, where she was found to have a dilated pupil in her left eye and deep tissue bruising on her underbelly. Full recovery is anticipated for her.
Zuluaga has been taken into custody at the Osceola County Jail, facing charges of felony animal cruelty. Lopez stated, if we could have charged him with anything else, trust me, we would have.”
He was released on December 28 after posting a bond of $5,000.
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Zuluaga’s pretrial release conditions include a prohibition on contact with pets, leading to Lilly being placed in the care of Animal Control. Lopez expressed that this guarantees her protection and that she will not go back to that abuser.
Lopez shared encouraging news for Lilly, revealing that a new permanent home has already been secured for her