A Hillsborough County woman is in jail after deputies say she was caught on a public safety surveillance camera violently abusing a dog.
On April 30, a Hillsborough County sheriff’s operator monitoring Real Time Crime Center cameras saw Imania Davis, 33, near the 1100 block of East 127th Avenue, according to the agency.
The video shows Davis walking out of an apartment complex and throwing the dog “almost over 10 feet” into a paved parking area, according to the sheriff’s office. When the dog ran back toward her, the video appears to show Davis kicking and striking the dog again before carrying him farther down the street and throwing him again out of view.
The sheriff’s office released video of the incident (warning: graphic content).
In a news conference Monday, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said the operator monitoring the camera immediately notified dispatch to alert deputies to the area.
“This dog wasn’t a violent dog,” Chronister said. “This dog was only seeking love and attention, and some affection, and instead, she acted the way she did, in such a violent and aggressive manner.”
The dog was taken a 24 hour emergency veterinarian for surgery on a broken front leg, Chronister said. The dog is now recovering at the Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center and will be placed for adoption once recovered.
The Hillsborough case is the second recent Florida animal cruelty case to draw multiple felony counts. Last week in Jacksonville, police arrested a woman accused of intentionally running over 11 ducklings in a parking lot, leading to 11 felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty.
The cases come after Florida lawmakers strengthened penalties for aggravated animal cruelty through Dexter’s Law, which created a 1.25 sentencing multiplier for certain severe abuse cases and established Florida’s first animal abuser database.
Davis was arrested and charged with six counts of animal cruelty, according to the agency. She is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail on a $75,000 bail, according to jail records.
