Fort Lauderdale man arrested after dog found 'unconscious' and 'emaciated,' police say

FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida. – Police arrested a Fort Lauderdale man on animal cruelty charges Sunday after they say he failed to take care of her dog, leaving her “emaciated” and “unconscious.”

According to an arrest report, a Broward County animal protection and control officer had encountered Fernando Gomez, 54, four times before Sunday and each time the officer ordered him to have the dog treated and provide documentation that a veterinarian had seen the dog. .

Officers at the scene were able to see the dog's ribs and hip bones, according to the report.

The dog was “emaciated,” “lethargic” and “unresponsive” and needed help from Gomez's brother to get her up and walking because she was unable to walk on her own, according to the report.

The report also stated that there was a pus-like discharge coming from both of his eyes and that half of his hair was missing.

The report also stated that the BCAC officer noticed that the dog's condition had deteriorated significantly since her last visit and that the first three times she carried out her checks, the dog was energetic and reactive, as opposed to to his now unresponsive and lethargic state.

According to the BCAC, during their four check-ups on the dog, which took place on May 13, 14, 30 and June 9, Gomez was informed that her dog needed medical attention and was advised to surrender it.

On June 9, Gomez received a final warning from the BCAC officer and was told that the BCAC would return the following week to obtain the required documents.

Gomez faces three charges: one count of animal cruelty and two municipal code violations: failing to require tags and failing to provide proof of required vaccination records.

According to online records, Gomez was being held in the Broward Main Jail on $10,300 bail.