PETA complaint about now-euthanized dog leads to Escambia County man's arrest

An Escambia County man is facing charges after a citizen reported mistreatment of a pit bull mix that later had to be euthanized.

The dog, which reportedly had missing hair, tapeworms and severely swollen genitals, was confiscated by Escambia County authorities after a resident complained to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in November.

Brandon Myers, 29, the dog's owner, is facing a felony charge of causing cruel pain, death or suffering to an animal for allegedly leaving the dog in poor health.

Stephanie Bell, the senior director in PETA's cruelty investigations department, confirmed the organization received a complaint about the dog at a residential property in the 700 block of Deedra Avenue in November.

The pit bull mix was underweight, missing fur and had some kind of issue that caused its genitals to be severely swollen, she said. Bell said the genital injuries appeared to be the result of a medical condition as opposed to sexual abuse, but she said further investigation was needed.

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PETA officials then alerted Escambia County Animal Control to investigate. According to Myers' offense report, animal control personnel attempted several times over a period of weeks to go by the home to find both the dog and its owner.

An officer who went by the residence Dec. 7 found Myers and asked to see the dog.

The officer reported the dog was very thin, had severe hair loss and had a penis that was extremely swollen and raw. There were segments of tapeworms visible around the dog's anus, its coat was dry and brittle and its skin was red and inflamed. The dog had a heavy infestation of fleas, according to the report.

The officer reported the animal’s ribs and spine were visible since the dog had so little fat.

The dog was transported to the Escambia County Animal Shelter, where it received treatment, but it was ultimately euthanized due to a lack of response to medical treatment, according to the report.

A portion of the report includes Myers' response to the allegations but that is redacted from the report. Attempts by the News Journal to reach out to Myers for comment Wednesday were unsuccessful.

Myers was booked into the Escambia County Jail on Monday was released the same day on a $10,000 bond.

Emma Kennedy can be reached at ekennedy@pnj.com or 850-435-8680.