A former Florida deputy was sentenced to five years of probation and is prohibited from owning, possessing or caring for any animal after he was found guilty of aggravated animal cruelty.
Nicholas Anthony Zotto, 31, was arrested in December 2023 after he failed to shut down his dog-sitting business, Pawesome Sitters, despite being ordered by Manatee County Code Enforcement to stop conducting business, according to previous Herald-Tribune reporting. He was also issued a notice to appear for animal abuse.
Instead, he boarded two small dogs in November 2023 and when the owner picked them up, one of the dogs was suffering from sores and severe dehydration, sheriff’s officials said…