A recent case of sickening animal abuse in Lee County, Florida has sparked a county-wide crackdown on animal cruelty — and ended in a heart-warming resolution.
Someone cruelly wrapped duct tape around a dog’s mouth and left him wandering injured and suffocating. When residents in LeHigh Acres discovered him, he was panting, drooling, and bleeding from wounds to his legs and chest.
After urgent medical treatment, the Florida Cur survived, but he was malnourished and dehydrated, requiring a lot of TLC.
This incident shocked Lee County residents and spurred the Lee County Sheriff’s Department to take a strong stance against animal cruelty.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno says he is looking for ways to stiffen the penalties for animal abusers. Currently, the fines are shockingly inadequate, with a third-time animal cruelty offense fetching a fine of only $400.
“Animals, they’re innocent,” said Marceno. “We can’t sit back and let anyone abuse an animal. For me, one offense is too many.”
The county is considering creating a database to track repeat offenders, and has installed billboards throughout the area stating: “Abuse an animal in Lee County and you WILL go to jail.”
As for the dog whose suffering inspired this action, he is now known as “Deputy Chance.”
After vets gave Chance the all clear, he was adopted by Deputy Richard Castellon and has settled beautifully into his new forever home — and new duties as the mascot and canine deputy at the Sheriff’s Office.
A Lady Freethinker petition encouraging the Sheriff’s Department to find the perpetrator has garnered more than 28,000 signatures.
SIGN: Justice for Dog Found Suffocating from Tape Around His Mouth
The search continues for the person responsible for taping Chance’s mouth shut, with the reward for information leading to an arrest currently sitting at $17,000.
While Chance’s story has a positive ending, this isn’t the case for thousands of animals in the U.S. every year. The response from Lee County gives us hope there are people out there committed to making things right for animals. We hope other counties and states follow in their footsteps.
I am so happy Chance has a forever lovely new home. Glad Chance is helping other animals. Nice !
How can one keep it family friendly when animals are so cruelly and regularly abused….. How can one not resort to bad words for these heinous sobs….. Sorry….. Had enough of the abuse by rat humans….
We need stronger animal cruelty laws!! The abuse to innocent animals needs to stop!
Certainly there should be laws. If there are no laws there are no punishments. Even the earth itself is governed by a law. The law should be enforced to protect innocent animals. We have laws in the UK and they are enforced. It should be the same throughout the world.
Good. Hope someone turns him in.
Yes, cruelty needs to STOP!
Thank Goodness these innocent creatures have been protected
Thank all in Lee County Sheriff’s Department for their tough stance on animal abuse. I can hardly believe that people are finally taking notice and putting those low-life creeps in jail for their transgressions against the innocent and vulnerable animals. A big “thank you” and lots of hugs to Deputy Richard Castellon for giving Deputy Chance a loving and forever home. You are truly a super hero with compassion.
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO RESCUED THIS INNOCENT FURBABY. FIND THIS S.O.B. AND LOCK HIM UP WITH MOUTH TAPED AND LET KARMA TAKE OVER
Stop be cruel dog
We need laws world wide to sort out ALL animal abusers once and for all.
Only solution….we need lion and crocodile dens and all animal/children abusers MUST be fed publically to these animals.
Let the animals sort them out and it WILL stop!!!!
wow someone else who is sick and tired of these demented evil bullies picking on innocent animals . we all need to post this everywhere so someone will recognize this dog and the scum who owned him !
Deputy Chance you are one lucky dude. And thank you officer Castellon for your kindness and thank you Lee county sheriff’s department for caring to make this a serious crime. Wish all law enforcement would follow your example.
Thank you Lee County for going after animal abusers. We need more counties like you to do the same.
Put that person in jail
Put that person in jail
What a happy ending for Chance. I am so glad, he has found his forever home.
Que le monstre qui a fait cela soit sévèrement puni!!!
This POS deserves to have their mouth taped shut. Thanku Lee County Sheriff for treating this with the severity it deserves. 🐶🐕🐾💙💙💙
If we all recognized that animals are sentient creatures, we would live in a kinder and happier world.
If people recognized that animals are sentient creatures, we would have a happier and kinder world for all, including ourselves.
This is so vicious & I hope the Police will definitely get hold of this perpetrator & send the douchebag to jail. I cannot imagine WHY & HOW anyone with a bleeding heart could do such heinously vicious act towards a total innocent, defenseless pooch?
“Deputy Chance” is truly adorable. Thank you Deputy Richard Castellon for adopting this lovable pooch as a member of your family. I am sure He will repay your kind gesture in thousand times over.
Hope this evil “human” is severely punished!
What a creepy person to do such a mean thing. How do these horrible people exist? A disgusting excuse for a human
Abuse of animals needs to be harsher punishments by those who abuse no animal derserves this they are innocent creatures abused by countless humans what the laws need is to have a register of abusers second put them on billboards so people know who did this abuse make it known if laws changed it would stop knowing there’s harsh punishment but people continue to abuse and know they can get away with it humans are the worse on earth they don’t care about anything just themself its ashame what this world is today but animals they forgive they stay loyal and love you know matter what that’s why I love animals more then humans and would save and fight for any animal before I would a human as a dog mom and rescuer of many abused dogs I give them love and a happy home free from abuse I wish others would do also but many just abuse there pets or any animal available to them so let’s get the laws to protect and justice served for them and stop this cruelity inflicted upon them fight for them all
I’m glad to hear this. The punishment must fit the crime.
AFTER SEEING SO MANY OF THESE , PLEASE TELL ME HOW TO REMAIN PEACEFUL AND FAMILY FRIENDLY ?? OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM SUCKS THATS WHY WE HAVE SO MUCH OF THIS !!
I would like to comment and thank Lee County Florida for addressing animal cruelty. The Sheriff, Camine Marceno, is looking for ways to stiffen penalties for animal abusers. Cudos, right on. Thank you for thinking and verbalizing this. The County is thinking of creating a database to track repeat offenders and has installed billboards throughout the area stating “Abuse an animal in Lee Co and you WILL go to jail” Another cudo and right on. WE need to support those law enforcers who are willing to address this abuse issue which I have seen increasing and it has to stop. Contact your enforcers, your politicans with what this Sheriff and County is doing to try and solve this problem.
la gente es muy mala con los animales que lo único que hacen es darnos cariño y compañia esas personas deben ir a la cárcel y pagar multas altas para que aprendan
Find the MONSTER(S) that committed this ABUSE to this to this DEFENSELESS pup!!
Pure EVIL
Wonderful gift of a forever home, thank you!
Thank hou to ALL who have helped this great pup!!
Way to go Chance! Keep shining boy!!!
At last, some compassion from authorities! This wonderful man has laid down the gauntlet to the animal abusers who always get away with their crimes.
I hope they find the a-hole(s) that did this. May this dog find a loving and deserving family.
The response from this Sheriff is wonderful!! Many thanks go out to him, hoping others follow suit.
ALL animals — not just “pets” — want to love, be loved, enjoy their freedom and live on THEIR OWN terms. Do you claim to “love” animals? Then walk your talk — BE VEGAN — and stop supporting “acceptable” animal cruelty, theft and violence inside cultural norms of society. See the VICTIMS of your non-vegan habits and turn your heart towards justice rather than socially accepted prejudice. It’s never too late to learn compassion and reverence for life. goveganworld.com & freefromharm.org
Well done Deputy Richard Castellon. I hope the authorities find this vicious man or woman.