Florida man accused of beating puppy to death: CCSO

A Florida man was arrested after Charlotte County detectives say a video showed him repeatedly abusing a 6-week-old puppy until the animal died.

admin September 16, 2026 2 minutes read

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Courtesy: Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – A Florida man was arrested after Charlotte County detectives say a video showed him repeatedly abusing a 6-week-old puppy until the animal died.

Florida deadly puppy abuse

What we know:

The investigation began Sunday after a local news outlet provided deputies with a video showing a man identified as Neil Puterbaugh, 53, repeatedly hitting the puppy, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.

The abuse continued until the puppy died, the sheriff’s office said. Puterbaugh then disposed of the animal.

Detectives spent the next two days getting the video and investigating.

Investigators also obtained several other videos from Puterbaugh’s home that showed other acts of abuse involving the puppy, CCSO said.

At about 8 p.m. Tuesday, investigators located Puterbaugh at his home and took him into custody.

Animal cruelty arrest

Dig deeper:

Puterbaugh was interviewed by investigators, where he admitted to hitting the puppy and said he had “gone too far,” according to CCSO.

Puterbaugh was later taken to the Charlotte County jail, where he is being held without bond on a felony aggravated animal cruelty charge. He was also booked for a probation violation, CCSO said.

What we don’t know:

The sheriff’s office did not say where Puterbaugh disposed of the puppy’s body or if deputies were able to recover the animal’s remains.

Sheriff reaction

What they’re saying:

“My heart hurts for what this sweet puppy endured. There is no excuse for abuse of this kind, and I believe the only word to describe it is ‘evil’,” Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell said. “Thank you to the person who reported this, and to our media partner who shared it with us to investigate. I wish we could have known sooner so that maybe we could have prevented this terrible outcome. I pray this puppy is now playing free for eternity in a world without pain and fear.”