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Florida man charged with throwing dog from bridge

Posted at 5:57 AM, Dec 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-05 12:51:14-05

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man was arrested Tuesday following accusations that he threw a pit bull off a bridge, authorities said.

Stephen Howard, 39, was charged with two counts of animal cruelty, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office said.

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A witness had called the sheriff's office to report seeing a man throw a dog over the side of a bridge near Pensacola. The Pensacola News Journal reports that the 12-foot (4-meter) -tall bridge runs over a small offshoot of Bayou Grande, with rocks lining both of its banks.

Deputies said they didn't see Howard throwing the dog from the bridge but found the animal underneath it, wet and shaking. Animal control took possession of the dog, which authorities said had suffered large cuts.

Howard was being held on $6,000 bail. Jail records didn't list an attorney who could comment for him.