A Punta Gorda man is behind bars without bond after Charlotte County deputies say surveillance video captured him beating a six-week-old puppy to death, then burying her in his backyard. Neil R. Puterbaugh, 53, was arrested Tuesday night at his home, accused of striking the female puppy more than 20 times.
Detectives with the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office's Strategic Targeted Area Response Unit took Puterbaugh into custody at approximately 8 p.m. on Sept. 15, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. The arrest came just two days after detectives received a tip video, and investigators say video footage obtained during their probe reportedly showed Puterbaugh hitting the puppy around 25 to 30 times while she was still alive, according to Gulf Coast News and Weather. Deputies also said the footage showed him dragging the puppy by her tail.
A Tip That Triggered a Two-Day Investigation
The case began Sept. 13, when local television station WINK News received a submitted crime tip containing the abuse footage and forwarded it to Charlotte County Sheriff's Office detectives, per WENG Radio. Over the following two days, detectives worked to establish probable cause, gathering evidence before deploying the STAR Unit for the arrest.
During a search of Puterbaugh's home following the arrest, investigators recovered multiple additional videos depicting previous acts of abuse against the puppy, the sheriff's office said, indicating a pattern of mistreatment before the animal's death. A friend of Puterbaugh's said the puppy died the same day she was brought home, according to Gulf Coast News and Weather's report, while another witness told the outlet the puppy had been donated to Puterbaugh to help him cope with his girlfriend's death.
Puterbaugh's Statements to Investigators
In a post-arrest interview at the CCSO District 4 office on Sept. 15, Puterbaugh admitted to striking the puppy and told detectives that he “went too far,” per FOX 13 Tampa Bay. Gulf Coast News and Weather reported that Puterbaugh confirmed there was a puppy in the house and said the animal was sick, though he reportedly denied hitting her before later confessing. He also told investigators the dog had to go “to cleanse the house,” the outlet reported, and said he had notified a witness that the puppy had died before burying her in his backyard. Deputies said Puterbaugh reportedly asked to speak with them.
Held Without Bond, Charged With a Felony
Puterbaugh was booked into Charlotte County Jail on a probation violation alongside the felony aggravated animal cruelty charge and is being held without bond, FOX 13 Tampa Bay reported. He faces a charge of cruelty to an animal by torture or inflicting pain, serious physical injury or death, per Gulf Coast News and Weather.
The probation stems from a prior arrest: in February 2024, the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit arrested Puterbaugh during a search warrant execution at a Punta Gorda home, charging him with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, according to WCXS 104.5 Classic Country. That 2024 search warrant resulted in six arrests and the seizure of crack cocaine, methamphetamine and hydrocodone, the station reported.
Sheriff Calls Abuse ‘Evil’
Under Florida Statute § 828.12(2), intentional acts resulting in cruel death or repeated unnecessary pain to an animal are classified as third-degree felony aggravated animal cruelty, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to the Florida Senate. The statute also mandates that anyone convicted of aggravated animal cruelty involving intentional torture or torment must pay a minimum fine of $2,500 and undergo psychological counseling or complete an anger management program.
In a public statement released Sept. 16, Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell called the abuse “evil” and expressed sorrow that law enforcement could not intervene sooner to save the animal, the sheriff's office said. The statement commended the media partner and citizen who alerted authorities to the abuse.
In Charlotte County, Animal Control and Charlotte County Fire & EMS are listed as components of Public Safety, with emergency after-hours animal safety calls dispatched through the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office. It remains unclear when Puterbaugh will be arraigned or which underlying conviction placed him on probation before this arrest.
