Lehigh Acres, FL - A man has been arrested for allegedly tossing an elderly dog into a dumpster outside of a Southwest Florida Family Dollar store.
Police say Anthony Bellman, of Lehigh Acres, faces aggravated animal cruelty charges for the December 14th incident in which security cameras captured Bellman forcefully throwing a black plastic bag into the dumpster behind the store and driving away.
Store workers noticed movement inside the bag and contacted authorities.
Inside the bag, authorities found a 16-year-old Shih Tzu named Xyla entangled with a rope around her neck and in desperate need of care.
Thanks to a microchip, Xyla's identity and age were revealed.
Xyla is recovering under the care of county domestic animal services, with hopes of finding her a new home.
Bellman was quickly arrested after an investigation by the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno expressed outrage at the incident during a press conference on Monday, stating "No living thing deserves to be discarded like common trash. We will never stop holding individuals accountable for these heinous actions here in the county."