A 52-year-old Boynton Beach man is facing a felony animal cruelty charge after police say surveillance video and witness accounts captured him abusing a black Labrador during two separate incidents near a South Federal Highway bus stop. Juan Latrez Poole was arrested after witnesses and surveillance footage allegedly showed him lifting the dog above his head and slamming it onto the ground, according to police records. The dog was wearing a red service dog vest during at least one of the incidents.
According to WPBF, police responded on September 9 to a report of dog abuse in the 2300 block of South Federal Highway. Surveillance footage from that day showed a man grab the dog by its collar and a leg, lift it over his head, and slam it onto the ground twice, police said. Officers did not find the man or the dog at the scene that day, per the outlet's report.
The following day, September 10, police received a second dog-abuse report in the same area. A witness told investigators, per the probable cause affidavit, that a man yanked the dog's leash, struck the animal with a bottle, and lifted it several feet off the ground by its leash. The witness described the dog as appearing terrified, shaking, and flinching, according to the account included in the affidavit.
Surveillance Footage and a Photo Lineup Tie Poole to the Scene
Separate surveillance footage from the second incident allegedly showed the man hit the dog in its side or chest with a bottle, wrap the leash around his hand, and suspend the animal in the air as it flailed. A witness later identified Poole in a photo lineup, per the same account detailed in the affidavit.
Investigators say they identified Poole by comparing the surveillance recordings with body camera footage, a technique consistent with the department's body-worn camera policy, which mandates recording officer interactions and integrating digital video evidence into investigations, per the Boynton Beach Police Department. That comparison reportedly turned up an unrelated encounter from August involving a man with the same dog, service vest, and backpack, allowing officers to connect the two cruelty reports to one suspect.
Police say the combination of video evidence, witness statements, and the photo identification established probable cause to charge Poole with felony animal cruelty. He was booked on a $1,000 bond, according to the arrest report cited by the outlet's report.
What Florida Law Says About the Charge
Under Florida Statute § 828.12(2), aggravated animal cruelty is classified as a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to the Florida Legislature. The charge requires proof of intentional acts resulting in excessive or repeated unnecessary pain and suffering.
Florida's Ponce's Law, enacted in 2018 following the fatal beating of a puppy in Volusia County, increases the offense severity ranking for felony animal cruelty convictions under state sentencing guidelines and imposes mandatory minimum fines of $2,500, along with mandatory anger management or psychological counseling when intentional torture is involved, according to Pallegar Law. Separately, Florida Statute § 828.12(3) permits prosecutors to file distinct criminal charges for each separate act of cruelty, which explains why investigators built the case around two distinct incidents rather than treating them as one offense.
The red service vest the dog wore during the alleged abuse has also drawn scrutiny. Under Florida Statute § 413.08(9), fraudulently misrepresenting an animal as a service dog is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail, a $500 fine, and 30 hours of mandatory community service, according to Legal Reader. It remains unclear whether additional charges related to the vest will be filed, and records reviewed so far provide no information about the dog's current condition or custody.
A Growing Local Push Against Animal Cruelty
The case comes amid heightened regional enforcement of animal welfare laws. In December 2025, the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office launched a dedicated Animal Cruelty Unit tasked with investigating reports of abuse, neglect, and abandonment across the county, working alongside Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control and local rescues to build criminal cases, according to WPEC.
Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control's Field Services section provides animal law enforcement across all 38 municipalities and unincorporated areas, handling roughly 33,000 service requests annually and about 10,000 calls a month across nearly 2,000 square miles, per county data. Residents who witness suspected animal cruelty can report it directly to Animal Care & Control or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County. The agency has also touted improved outcomes for animals in its care, reporting a 92.5% live-release rate for dogs and 75.3% for cats in its most recent transparency tracking data.
