‘They’re lifesavers’: Dog trainer reacts after Boynton Beach man charged with abusing a service dog
By Ari Hait
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BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (WPBF) — A Boynton Beach man is facing felony animal cruelty charges after videos recorded him abusing his dog, Rex, on two separate occasions.
Juan Poole was arrested this week.
Police said the first incident occurred on Sept. 9, when Poole lifted Rex and slammed him on the ground twice.
Police said Poole was also recorded the following day lifting Rex off the ground, spinning him, and then dropping him.
“It’s horrific. It’s always hard to see animal cruelty,” said Tibor Feigel, chief training officer at Furry Friends in Jupiter.
Feigel said that to him, the video is even worse than some might believe.
He said that’s because police confirmed that while Rex is not Poole’s service dog, he is a service dog.
“It makes it so much more difficult because we’ve seen that this was actually a service dog. It’s even more heartbreaking,” Feigel said.
Feigel said that’s because service dogs are so much more than just man’s best friend.
He called them lifesavers for their owners.
“The service dogs are medical equipment for that individual. They’re helping them with the day-to-day task, making their lives a lot easier,” he said.
Furry Friends operates a program that trains shelter dogs to become service dogs for veterans, providing them with whatever physical and emotional support they might need.
“It literally gives them freedom, more freedom to be able to move around, go back and connect with our society,” Feigel said.
While it is unclear what Rex is specifically trained to do, Animal Care and Control shared a photo of him and confirmed that he is doing well and is hoping to find a new, safer home.
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