Deputies in Lehigh Acres found 10 puppies confined inside a Chevrolet Suburban parked in an enclosed garage, with the vehicle's internal temperature reaching 83.3 degrees, and arrested a man already listed on Lee County's animal abuser registry. Erick de Jesus Canoura, a Lehigh Acres resident with a documented history of animal cruelty convictions, now faces new charges tied to the puppies' discovery.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office looked into puppies advertised for sale on Craigslist, according to WINK News. Investigators linked the ad to Canoura, who is listed on the county's Animal Abuser Registry. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said the Animal Cruelty Task Force and deputies assisted Lee County Domestic Animal Services in the case.
Canoura initially denied having the puppies but allowed investigators to search the property, according to WFLA. Detectives later executed a search warrant at his residence. Deputies then discovered the 10 puppies confined in the Suburban, which had just one window partially open. The station reported the animals were visibly distressed, heavily panting, matted, and covered in urine and feces, with no accessible food or water.
Puppies Rescued, Sheriff Cites Additional Evidence
All 10 puppies were rescued and taken to Lee County Domestic Animal Services for veterinary evaluation. The sheriff's office said additional evidence connected Canoura to the puppies and their sale. Canoura was charged with cruelty to animals, confinement of animals without sufficient food, water or exercise, and violation of a county ordinance, per the same report.
“These puppies were subjected to disgusting conditions, and that is something I will never tolerate in Lee County,” Marceno said. Booking records listed Canoura as in custody as of Wednesday, and his next court hearing is scheduled for Dec. 1, according to the station's reporting.
A Pattern Stretching Back Years
This is not Canoura's first brush with animal cruelty allegations. In September 2024, he was arrested after five dogs were found in deplorable conditions near his Lehigh Acres home — three dogs discovered in several inches of muddy water mixed with feces, and two more found behind the property, per WINK News. A separate account from Gulf Coast News Now described deputies finding three dogs caged with three to five inches of muddy water and feces, plus two more small-breed dogs in a crate without food or water, after they'd gone to the Palmetto Avenue property to investigate a stolen skid steer.
Canoura pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor animal cruelty charges in January 2025 and was adjudicated guilty, the station reported. He was placed on probation, ordered not to possess animals, and required to register as an animal abuser. A judge granted early termination of that probation in August 2025 — just months before the Craigslist puppies turned up.
Documents reviewed by WINK News also showed Canoura had seven separate animal cruelty-related ordinance citations in Lee County over roughly the prior two years, citing unsanitary conditions and a lack of proper ventilation for multiple breeds of dogs. Five dogs seized in that earlier case were taken in and medically checked by Lee County Domestic Animal Services, the station reported. Canoura was also arrested in Miami-Dade County in 2021 after 31 dogs were found in deplorable condition in his possession, according to the same report, and he now appears in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's statewide animal cruelty database.
How Lee County's Abuser Registry Works
Lee County's Animal Abuser Registry is designed to flag people convicted of felony and/or misdemeanor animal abuse and cruelty offenses, according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
The case also lands amid the rollout of a statewide tool. Florida's Animal Cruelty Offender List, created under Dexter's Law, launched in January 2026 and lets the public search for people with qualifying animal cruelty convictions or pleas. As of Jan. 2, 2026, the database held 1,668 names, though at that point it listed only first and last names without crime details, locations, or offense dates, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. The list is scheduled to update on the first of every month, per the same report.
Lehigh Acres has seen large-scale animal seizures before. In 2009, animal services removed 25 dogs and four cats from a property there after an anonymous tip, with 20 dogs and one cat reportedly housed in a 10-by-20-foot wooden structure without proper ventilation, feces and urine covering the floor, according to the North Fort Myers Neighbor.
