A Florida couple have been charged with animal cruelty after footage appeared to show them hitting, kicking and forcing two French bulldogs beneath a fence at their home in Gulf Breeze.
Charolette Dellinger and David Neely, both 57, were arrested by Santa Rosa County deputies on 28 August following reports of the video. They each face a misdemeanour animal-cruelty charge.
The incident was recorded by neighbour Annabel Morris, who said she heard a disturbance while letting her own dogs outside. She began filming on her phone and later discovered that a home security camera had captured the wider confrontation.
In the footage, a woman appears to slap and kick one of the dogs before pushing it towards a gap beneath a privacy fence. A second French bulldog is brought into view and appears to receive similar treatment, while the man is seen handling the animal and apparently kicking it.
Morris contacted animal services after seeing what was happening. Santa Rosa County Animal Services subsequently removed the two dogs shown in the video, along with four other French bulldogs from the property. Officials said the animals had been examined by veterinary staff and were doing well, although the two dogs in the footage had some bruising. ([aol.com](https://www.aol.com/articles/6-french-bulldogs-seized-gulf-225445000.html))
“You get frustrated with your pet, you just walk away from it,” Santa Rosa County Chief Deputy Randy Tifft told local broadcaster News 5.
He said the sheriff’s office had seen an increase in animal-cruelty cases in recent months. “It’s sad,” Mr Tifft said. “And a lot of them have been pretty bad. So, if you’re going to treat your animals like that, you don’t need to have any animals.”
Animal services said all the animals from the property were safe at its shelter and that the case remained under investigation. The agency added that it was limited in what it could disclose because criminal proceedings were under way.
According to arrest information reported by local media, Dellinger was released on a $10,000 bond and Neely on $5,000. The pair were released on 29 August, while a court will decide whether the dogs can eventually be returned to their owner. ([aol.com](https://www.aol.com/articles/6-french-bulldogs-seized-gulf-225445000.html))
