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DALTON CHAD SOUSA arrested for throwing a dog from an apartment balcony

Updated: Oct 7, 2025

- Florida, USA -

 

~ Update: October 7, 2025


On Wednesday, October 1, 2025, 31-year-old DALTON CHAD SOUSA (pictured) appeared in Lee County Circuit Court for a sentencing hearing.


Back in September 2024, SOUSA had been arrested by the Lee County Sheriff's Office for throwing a Chihuahua named Raven off a third-story apartment balcony “like a football.”


SOUSA faced one count of aggravated animal cruelty. On Wednesday, he pleaded no contest, meaning he accepted conviction without admitting guilt. Consequently, prosecutors amended the charge to one count of misdemeanor animal cruelty.


Judge Robert Branning sentenced SOUSA to twelve (12) years of probation starting immediately.


~ Original story:


The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested 30-year-old DALTON CHAD SOUSA (pictured).

 

On September 8, 2024, Lee County Sheriff’s Office detectives responded to Blue Pearl Animal Hospital in Fort Myers after being alerted to an injured dog.

 

Detectives learned that a male, later identified as SOUSA, told an employee that a dog, a 3-year-old female Chihuahua named Raven, had been thrown from a third-story apartment balcony “like a football” by a friend.

When the vet began asking questions about the “friend” who threw Raven from the balcony, SOUSA became “disorderly” and got into an altercation with the vet. At that point he left the hospital leaving Raven behind and the vet called the sheriff’s office.

 

Raven suffered a fractured to her left front leg, abrasions to her chest, and a broken jaw. The good news is that she will make a full recovery!

 

“Detectives worked around the clock and located the owner with the assistance of the Real Time Intelligence Center”, stated the press release by the sheriff’s office.

 

Detectives were able to find Raven’s guardian and he said that he went to a friend's house for a drink and had a fight with a guy he knew as “Dalton.” When he was leaving, he realized he did not have Raven and that’s when he realized that Raven had been thrown from the balcony.

 

SOUSA was located and taken into custody on September 9, 2024. He was booked into the Lee County Jail on one count of aggravated animal cruelty and released the following date after posting a $5,000 bond.

 

Court records show the scum is scheduled to appear at Lee County Circuit Court on October 14, 2024, at 8:30 a.m.

 

In a statement, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said: “It is always disappointing to learn of an 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 by an owner they trust. I will continue to do my part to 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬. Violent and abusive behavior towards an animal will NOT be tolerated in Lee County. This suspect will now pay the price for this disgusting crime.”

 

# # #

 

Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from the press release by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.

In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.

 

 

SOUSA’s mugshot shared from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office


For more animal cruelty stories, please click here. Thank you!



 
 
 

JOSEPHINE MARIE RAGLAND arrested in connection with the death of a dog at her dog-boarding business

- Connecticut, USA -

 

The Connecticut State Police announced the arrest of 28-year-old JOSEPHINE MARIE RAGLAND (pictured).

 

On September 16, 2024, RAGLAND turned herself into the Middletown Police Department on the strength of an active arrest warrant held by Connecticut State Police on four counts of cruelty to animals.

 

RAGLAND’s arrest marks the second arrest in a case connected to the death of a 3-year-old French Bulldog named Charlie that happened on September 4, 2023.

 

RAGLAND’s mother, 64-year-old JACQUELINE WITT, was arrested on September 10, 2024.

 

According to the affidavit, RAGLAND, who went by “Lily”, had her business “Wagging Good” listed on a website as a facility for training and boarding dogs and would charge $1,000 to $2,500 to pick up the dogs and board/train them.

 

The affidavit stated that RAGLAND would go to pick up the dogs from their families’ homes, drive them to WITT’s residence in Haddam and leave them in crates.

 

According to the affidavit, when Charlie died, RAGLAND and WITT had a total of five dogs in their care. Charlie lost his precious life while under WITT’s supervision and after he had died, RAGLAND did not inform his family. Instead, she continued to send Charlie’s family updates on his training. RAGLAND put Charlie’s lifeless body “in a trash bag inside the sun room of the residence next to the other dogs she was caring for.”

 

Once Charlie’s body began to bloat, WITT took his body to Canterbury Turnpike in Norwichtown and dumped him ten to fifteen feet off the roadway.

 

Charlie was supposed to be returned to his family on September 15, 2024, but he never went back home. According to the affidavit, RAGLAND initially told Charlie’s guardian that Charlie had either got loose or was stolen from her while her vehicle was broken down that day. Charlie’s guardian, whom WFSB identified as Bart Hanson, contacted the North Reading Police Department to report that.

 

Reading Police assigned Detective Lieutenant Encarnacao to investigate the incident and he then reached out to Animal Control Officer DellaRocco of the CT Department of Agriculture Animal Unit who started the investigation.

 

When RAGLAND and WITT were questioned by ACO DellaRocco and Detective Lieutenant Encarnacao, they gave different versions of how Charlie died.

 

ACO DellaRocco picked up Charlie’s body from the road and put him in the freezer at the Clinton Dog Pound.

The other dogs who RAGLAND had picked up to train were returned to their families.

The affidavit blacked out the names of the dogs but described them as an 8-year-old American Eskimo Pomeranian mix, a 7-month-old Golden Retriever, a 7-year-old black Labrador, and an 8-year-old American Cocker Spaniel. One of them was in the worst condition and had a little to no fur on his legs, stomach and part of his tail and the areas without fur were scabby.

 

A necropsy performed on Charlie showed he was emaciated with “severe prominence of ribs, vertebrae and scapulae.” Part of Charlie’s skin had “multiple areas of pale and red discoloration.”

 

RAGLAND was released from custody on a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear at Middletown Superior Court on September 30, 2024.

 

As for WITT, she was released on a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at Middletown Superior Court on September 19, 2024. She is facing four charges of animal cruelty to animals and one count of tampering with evidence.

 

Cassidy Williams, with I-Team Investigation said that the Massachusetts police reports say investigators got documents from California showing that RAGLAND ran a similar dog training scheme there before moving to Connecticut. RAGLAND left California after a dog disappeared and she is facing charges in California as well. The details of that case are currently sealed and RAGLAND’s lawyer did not respond to I-Team Investigation’s request for comment.

 

# # #

 

Voice For Us Disclaimer: This story is sourced from official documents released by Connecticut State Police. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.

In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.

 




 
 
 

NATHAN LEE TANNER facing animal cruelty charges after many small dogs were found emaciated

- North Carolina, USA -

 

The execution of a search warrant at a home on 413 Hobson Drive in Mocksville, led to the discovery of eleven (11) starved dogs and the arrest of 30-year-old NATHAN LEE TANNER (pictured).

 

On September 13, 2024, deputies with the Davie County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services executed the search warrant and found eleven “emaciated Chihuahua type dogs”, according to a news release by the sheriff’s office.

One of the dogs had to be transported to a local veterinarian for immediate treatment, while the other ten were taken to Davie County Animal Shelter.

 

The sheriff’s office tells me that no animals were found deceased and none of the rescued dogs were euthanized. The furvictim who was rushed to the vet was considered “in guarded condition.”

 

In a Facebook post, Davie County Animal Shelter wrote:

“We recently took in 11 small breed dogs from a cruelty case. They are all very sick and will be in care for a while before they will be available for adoption.  Even having been through what they have, they are all loving, friendly dogs. We would greatly appreciate donations of canned dog food. They all need to gain weight and canned food is the easiest for them to accept. Any brand, as long as it is canned, they are chowing down on everything.

If you are able, donations can be dropped off at the shelter, 291 Eaton Rd., Mocksville, NC 27028 or shipped here if that is more convenient. Thank you for your support!”

 

Warrants have been issued on TANNER for one felony count for cruelty to animals and ten misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals. 

According to the sheriff’s office, TANNER received no bond on the release order due to other charges in other counties. He is scheduled to appear at Davie District Court on September 26, 2024.

 

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Disclaimer: This story is sourced from the press release by the Davie County Sheriff’s Office provided to Voice For Us. Please note that details may be removed or new information added should updates become available.

In the case of charges being dropped, dismissed, or the case being purged, this article will be rectified accordingly, if official documentation is provided to Voice For Us.

 

 

TANNER’s mugshot provided to Voice For Us by the Davie County Sheriff's Office




 
 
 

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