Deputies Discover a Gruesome Scene
Authorities in Florida responded to what they believed was a domestic disturbance in Fort Pierce—but instead discovered one of the most disturbing cases of animal cruelty in recent memory.
In the backyard of a home at 2111 Dade Rd, deputies found the lifeless bodies of two dogs, a male and female, hanging by their necks from a tree. They were bound with an array of restraints: coaxial cables, paracord, tie-down straps, and chains. Standing near the scene was the dogs’ owner, 42-year-old Salomon Cruz-Perez.
When questioned, Cruz-Perez allegedly claimed the dogs had “tied themselves up”—a claim detectives swiftly discredited after closer inspection.
A Pattern of Neglect and Rejection
Authorities later discovered that Cruz-Perez had attempted to have the dogs euthanized just weeks earlier. When that failed, he allegedly resorted to killing them himself.
Detectives with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office obtained a search warrant and conducted a full investigation, concluding that the dogs had been intentionally bound and hanged. The horror of the crime was not just in the method, but in the heartless attempt to dismiss their deaths as an “accident.”
Cruz-Perez has since been arrested and charged with two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty resulting in death. He is currently being held on a $10,000 bond and has not yet secured legal representation.
This Was No Accident — It Was a Crime
This case echoes another recent tragedy in Florida, when a woman drowned her dog in an airport bathroom after being denied boarding a flight. These back-to-back cases make one thing clear: the system needs stronger safeguards for animal protection, including lifetime bans on pet ownership for individuals convicted of abuse…