A lifetime ban on pet ownership that had been imposed on a homeless Volusia County man who allegedly beat and kicked his dog is apparently going to be lifted.
On Monday, 53-year-old Dean Sullivan pled guilty to misdemeanor animal cruelty. A circuit judge granted the prosecution's request for the lifetime animal ownership ban plus 240 days in jail.
However, that ban does not take effect until October 1st.
The public defender and the state attorney's office have reportedly agreed to remove the ban until that time.
Sullivan is the first in Volusia county to feel the wrath of the new bill called 'Ponce's Law.' It is named after the labrador retriever puppy that was beaten to death. The bill was signed by Governor Rick Scott last year.
Ponce’s Law allows judges to bar people convicted of animal abuse from having pets, whether that be a dog, cat, bird, fish, reptile, etc.