Boxer Breed Profile

Florida Man Caught On Camera Throwing Tiny Shih Tzu Into Garbage Dumpster, Police Say

A heartless fiend is facing felony charges after getting nabbed on surveillance video dumping a helpless pup into a garbage dumpster, police in Florida said Monday.

Anthony Bellman, 55, pulled up behind a Family Dollar store in Lehigh Acres near Cape Coral on Thursday and took the 16-year-old Shih Tzu pooch named Xyla out of his car in a trash bag.

He then tossed the bag several feet through the air and into the dumpster before driving off, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said at a press briefing Monday.

"This sickens me as you watch this," the visibly angry sheriff told reporters. "You can see in this video that he has absolutely zero regard for Xyla.

"No living thing deserves to be discarded like common trash," he said. "The suspect [was] literally throwing a life away. This video is disgusting."

Marceno said Bellman told his family he was taking Xyla to the local humane society but instead threw the pooch away.

The sheriff's office traced Bellman through a microchip implanted in the pup and deputies were at his door in Lehigh Acres — about 16 miles east of Fort Myers — within two hours of Xyla's rescue.

Surveillance footage behind a Florida dollar store captured a cruel dog owner dumping a Shih Tzu named Xyla into a dumpster. Anthony Bellman, 55, was later charged with felony animal cruelty, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said. Lee County Sheriff's Office Xyla, a 16-year-old Shih Tzu, was rescued by workers at a Florida dollar store after being dumped in the trash. Lee County Sheriff's Office

The blue vehicle seen in the surveillance video was parked outside the home.

Bellman, who authorities said is the relative of Xyla's original owners, even answered the door wearing the same clothes as in the video, Marceno told reporters.

He was charged with a felony count of aggravated animal cruelty and will have his name added to the county's Animal Abuse Registry, the sheriff said.

He said Bellman, who allegedly had a prior drunk driving arrest in Ohio, was released on a bond.

Marceno said the arrest was made by the sheriff's Animal Cruelty Task Force that he founded, and which has so far logged 15 felony animal cruelty arrests and thousands of abuse complaints.

Anthony Bellman, 55, of Lehigh Acres, Florida, is charged with felony animal cruelty. Lee County Sheriff's Office Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said he was "sickened" by video of Xyla the Shih Tzu being thrown into the trash. Lee County Sheriff's Office

Marceno said Xyla was treated by a vet and is now in good health and up for adoption.

"We bagged up this trash and gave him a ride to the Marceno Motel," he added of Bellman — using his nickname for the Lee County Jail.

"You don't get to abuse an animal in Lee County," the sheriff added.

Shih Tzu Rescued From Dumpster After Florida Man Allegedly Tied Rope Around Her Neck, Stuffed In Trash Bag

A Shih Tzu was rescued from a dumpster in Florida last week after workers at a Family Dollar store found a trash bag "with something moving inside," authorities said Tuesday.

The "heinous" incident happened on Dec. 14 in Lehigh Acres, the Lee County Sheriff's Office said.

"Stuffed inside the bag, employees found sweet Xyla, a 16-year-old Shih Tzu, with a rope around her neck," Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said. "These heroic employees recognized this to be purposeful abuse and rushed Xyla to Blue Pearl Pet Hospital for evaluation."

The sheriff's Animal Cruelty Task Force immediately responded and found surveillance footage showing a suspect driving up to the dumpster, taking a trash bag out of his trunk and tossing it into the dumpster from several feet away, according to authorities.

PITTSBURGH AREA OFFICIAL CHARGED WITH LETTING DOG STARVE TO DEATH, STUFFING BODY IN TRASH BAG

Xyla was found alive after workers at a Family Dollar store found a trash bag "with something moving inside" in a dumpster," authorities said. (Lee County Sheriff's Office )

Detectives learned that Xyla had a microchip and discovered that her original owners were deceased. Using "the latest and greatest technology," detectives were able to track down the vehicle driven by the suspect in the surveillance footage to a residence, the sheriff's office said.

Detectives obtained surveillance footage of the incident and used it to track down the suspect's vehicle. (Lee County Sheriff's Office )

At the home, detectives found a man, identified as Anthony Bellman, "who happened to be wearing the same clothing as the suspect in the footage," officials said.

Anthony Bellman was charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty and will be placed on the animal abuse registry. (Lee County Sheriff's Office )

Detectives took Bellman in for questioning and found probable cause to charge him with one count of aggravated animal cruelty. He will also be placed on the animal abuse registry.

FLORIDA COUPLE ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED ANIMAL ABUSE AFTER OVER 100 ANIMALS RESCUED: AUTHORITIES

"Today, I'm proud to announce that justice was indeed served upon a selfish and cruel individual, who clearly has no regard for animals," Marceno said.

Xyla was being treated by a veterinarian and officials were working on finding her a permanent home. (Lee County Sheriff's Office )

Meanwhile, Xyla was still recovering from the "horrific incident" while authorities and animal services worked to find her a loving home.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"We are ONE team that comes together to be a voice for the innocent, such as Xyla," Marceno said. "We will never stop holding individuals accountable for these heinous actions here in this county."

Man Charged With Throwing 16-year-old Shih Tzu In Trash Bag, Rope Around Her Neck, Into Dumpster

LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. (TND) — Workers at a Family Dollar store in Florida "found a trash bag inside the dumpster with something moving inside," the sheriff said, and a man is under arrest for what authorities call "a significant animal cruelty investigation."

The workers made the discovery on Thursday.

"Stuffed inside the bag, employees found sweet Xyla, a 16-year-old Shih Tzu, with a rope around her neck," Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said. "These heroic employees recognized this to be purposeful abuse and rushed Xyla to" a veterinarian.

Detectives found surveillance video showing "the suspect arriving at the dumpster in his vehicle, exiting, clearly removing a bundled up trash bag from within his trunk, and then tossing the bag into the dumpster from several feet away.

"During the investigation, detectives learned Xyla was micro-chipped, and then discovered the original owners were unfortunately deceased."

Their investigation took them "to a nearby residence with the same vehicle matching that driven by the suspect in the surveillance footage."

Anthony Lee Bellman opened the door and he "happened to be wearing the same clothing as the suspect in the footage, as well.

"Bellman was taken in for questioning," and he ended up charged with aggravated animal cruelty.

Bellman, 55, was released in lieu of $50,000 bail after less than four hours in jail.

"Xyla is still healing from the horrific incident," authorities said, and they'll work "to see she finds a loving home in the future."

"We will go to every length imaginable to protect those who cannot protect themselves," Sheriff Marceno said. "Today, I'm proud to announce that justice was indeed served upon a selfish and cruel individual, who clearly has no regard for animals."

---