BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey posted a strongly worded warning to residents who harm animals after a man was arrested Friday on animal cruelty charges.
“If you harm an animal in Brevard County I am personally going to walk your butt into our jail and slam the door shut in your face!!” Ivey’s post on the Brevard County Sheriff's Office Facebook page reads.
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The post stemmed from the arrest of 27-year-old Ronald Peacock, of Cocoa, following a criminal investigation that revealed he had failed to provide proper nutrition or veterinary care for a mixed-breed dog he owned named Thor.
Deputies earlier in the week responded to Peacock’s home, where they found Thor to be “extremely emaciated,” Ivey said in the post.
Peacock was issued a citation and ordered to take Thor to the vet within 48 hours, Ivey said.
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When deputies returned a few days later, Peacock said he took Thor to the vet but he only received vaccines and heartworm treatment.
Peacock also told deputies that he could not afford the amount of food necessary to bring the dog’s weight to an acceptable level and that he wasn’t going to do anything further, Ivey said.
Thor was seized and transported to Animal Services where staff determined he was suffering “from extreme malnutrition due to neglect,” Ivey said.
“For the life of me I just don’t understand how someone could be so cruel as to allow an innocent creature to suffer, especially when there are so many different organizations out there that would help feed and nurse this little guy back to health,” Ivey wrote. “At least he is now safe and sound in our Animal Care Center under the care of our incredible veterinarians and staff.”
Peacock was charged with one count of animal cruelty and one count of resisting arrest without violence for attempting to flee the deputy. He was transported to the Brevard County Jail and is being held on $2,500 bond.
Ivey said he and Cpl. Chris Sauro, of the Animal Cruelty Investigative Unit, “personally” walked Peacock into the jail.
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