If you're a dog owner, you know just how hard it is to be away from your animals -- even for a few hours, or while you're at work for the day. That's why many decide to send their pups to doggy daycare, where they can get attention, care, and social engagement with other dogs. We have to have an incredibly high level of trust and faith in the people who run these establishments --
trust and faith that a Florida man recently broke beyond repair.The owner of Pawsome Sitters, who was also a sheriff's deputy at the time, was
caught on a Ring camera maliciously beating and dragging a dog in his care.Sign the petition if you think this man should never be able to work with or own animals ever again -- nor should he ever be able to be a cop!The footage is difficult to watch. The clip starts with the man in question, Nicholas Zotto, chasing what appears to be a sweet chocolate lab.
When the dog fails to come to Zotto, he pins it under what appears to be a small kiddie pool. Then, Zotto roughly flips the dog over, keeps it pinned to the ground, and beats it cruelly. He then drags the pup across the yard, so roughly that
its front paws are barely touching the ground, and then
he punches the poor thing right in the face. Imagine being this dog's owner and watching this footage of a man you trusted basically torturing your pet.
It's utterly sickening.After the footage circulated on Facebook, plenty of people took their business -- and beloved dogs -- elsewhere. But Zotto has only been charged with a single misdemeanor count of animal cruelty.
That means that in time this news may fade, his time will be served, and he will be free to work with animals, own animals…and possible abuse animals again.It's even more unnerving to consider that Zotto was a cop. Thankfully, Manatee County Sheriff's Office fired him after his egregious actions came to light. But what's stopping him but getting another job as an officer, giving him immense power over animals and people alike?
We know that animal abuse can often escalate into violence against other people. We cannot let a person like this ever be an officer of the law again.That's why we're asking 12th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Ed Brodsky to consider this case.
Sign the petition asking Ed Brodsky to make sure Nicholas Zotto can never own animals, work with animals, or be a cop ever again!