Fort Myers man allegedly broke family pet’s leg with broomstick, claims ‘it’s only a dog’

LEE COUNTY, Fla. — A Fort Myers man accused of animal cruelty was arrested after allegedly injuring his family dog, officials said.

Jose Hernandez-Rivera, 28, is accused of hitting his family’s dog with a broomstick because he was mad at it for barking, deputies with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said. After getting hit, the dog was unable to put weight on her leg because it was broken, deputies said.

A witness told deputies that Hernandez-Rivera said: “It’s only a dog.”

The dog, named Canela, was taken to Blue Pearl veterinary hospital where she is being evaluated. Canela is a 2-year-old chihuahua-poodle-terrier mix that weighs about 20 pounds, deputies said.

Canela was signed over to animal control because her family couldn’t afford her veterinarian bills.

Hernandez-Rivera was arrested and booked into the Lee County Jail just after 1:30 a.m. on Thursday. He faces one count of ‘Conservation-Animals, inflict pain and serious injury’, according to an arrest report.

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