PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – A Georgia man was taken into custody after allegedly abusing a dog.
Bay County Sheriff’s deputies report they responded to a report of animal cruelty at a hotel on Panama City Beach Thursday around 3 p.m. They said hotel employees stated they had received a complaint from a guest about a dog running loose in the hallway.
NewsChannel 7 is told when the employees went to investigate the complaint, they saw a man, who they said they assumed was the owner of the dog, come out of his hotel room. They allegedly saw the man begin beating and choking the dog before dragging it back into the room.
Deputies report when they arrived, they went to the room and could hear the dog in the room, but no one answered the door. Deputies said they watched the security camera footage of the man beating the dog.
Authorities said at that time, employees told deputies the man had returned the hotel and was parking his vehicle.
Deputies report they found with Christopher May, 23, of Warner Robbins, Georgia, and a female passenger in the vehicle.
May was reportedly wearing the same clothes as the man in the security video of the abuse. May allegedly admitted to his actions with the dog but stated “it wasn’t abuse”.
Deputies said May was taken into custody. The female passenger allegedly told deputies she was friends with May, and she was the owner of the dog. Officials said she stated she believed May was overly aggressive with the dog.
The dog allegedly appeared to have no injuries.
Deputies said May was charged with aggravated animal cruelty and taken to the Bay County Jail. They said Animal Control was called and arranged for the dog to be turned over to the woman.
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