A Florida Couple Posed as Dog Lovers on Social Media. Then a Neighbor’s Camera Allegedly Caught Them Slamming Their Dogs Against a Fence
"It's sad."
A Florida couple was arrested last week after a neighbor’s camera allegedly captured them hitting, kicking, and slamming their two French bulldogs against a fence. On social media, Charolette Dellinger had portrayed herself as a dog lover, but according to Daily Mail, the video appeared to tell a very different story.
Neighbor Annabel Morris recorded the incident on her phone after hearing the commotion, then discovered her home security camera had captured it too. Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Dellinger and David Neely, both 57, on Friday. The case started, like several recent ones, with footage from a home security camera.
Chief Deputy Randy Tifft told News 5 that frustration with a pet is never an excuse. “You get frustrated with your pet, you just walk away from it,” he said, as reported by that outlet. Tifft added that the sheriff’s office has seen more animal cruelty cases in recent months. “It’s sad,” he 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.”
What Happens to the Dogs Now Isn’t Automatic
Santa Rosa County Animal Services said in a statement that both bulldogs are safe in its care and have been evaluated by veterinary staff as of August 28. Because the case remains an active criminal investigation, the agency said limited information can be released. The couple was released Saturday afternoon on a combined bond of $15,000. The outlet said it contacted Santa Rosa County Animal Services for comment.
Posting bond doesn’t necessarily mean the couple walks away with no restrictions in the meantime. Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.131 and Florida Statute 903.047, judges can attach conditions to pretrial release beyond the bond amount itself. These can include no-contact orders and other non-monetary restrictions the court considers necessary. In animal cruelty cases specifically, defense attorneys note that courts often use this authority to bar a defendant from owning or possessing animals while the case is pending.
That’s separate from whatever happens to the dogs already in Animal Services’ custody. Violating any court-ordered condition, even after posting bond, can result in the release being revoked and the person taken back into custody while the case continues. Custody of the dogs isn’t something that happens automatically just because they were removed from the property.
Under Florida Statute 828.073, once an animal is seized in a suspected cruelty case, the agency involved has 10 days to file a petition with the county court. A hearing must then be held within 30 days to determine whether the owner is fit to regain custody. A judge can order the animals returned, permanently placed with an agency like animal control, or in the case of untreatable injury, humanely euthanized.
The criminal charge itself carries real weight depending on how prosecutors classify the conduct. Under Florida Statute 828.12, cruelty to animals is generally a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail. If prosecutors determine the conduct involved intentional, excessive, or repeated infliction of pain, it can be charged instead as aggravated animal cruelty.
That’s a third-degree felony carrying up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
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