NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. — A North Fort Myers man is in police custody after being accused of shooting a dog.
The incident happened off McDaniel Drive in the Suncoast Estates neighborhood. Detectives with the North District Criminal Investigation Division and Animal Cruelty Task Force responded to McDaniel Drive Monday night. The call- a dog had been shot in the snout.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, detectives learned that a man, Anthony Hallmon, entered a home uninvited and fired a gun at the dog- which Hallmon claimed had bit him. That dog, a brown and white male pitbull named Safari, was found by deputies with a small hole in his snout and was taken to domestic animal services for treatment. Safari is expected to make a full recovery, whereas Hallmon has been taken into custody.
During that arrest, authorities say detectives found fentanyl in his possession. Neighbors we spoke to, who said they did not want to be on camera, said there are a few drug houses in the area and that they are not surprised about what happened. A few deputies with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office were seen patrolling the area Tuesday night.
In a statement, LCSO Sheriff Carmine Marceno said, “This criminal’s actions are outrageous. The violence toward this defenseless dog will not be tolerated. Residents and their families, including pets, will be safe here… and my team will see to it.”
Hallmon has been charged with animal cruelty, burglary with assault, and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.
He is in custody at the Lee County Jail.
