ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — A St. Petersburg man was arrested on Sunday after he attacked a dog with a shovel, authorities said.
The St. Petersburg Police Department charged Christopher Toliver, 37, with cruelty to animals.
According to two witness statements, Toliver struck a dog with a shovel in the head at a home on 17th Avenue South, a Pinellas County arrest affidavit stated.
In a text message to another person, Toliver wrote, “ I hit the dog with the shovel three times in the head,” the report stated.
Witnesses said they saw Toliver hit the dog repeatedly in the head with the shovel.
The report did not state who owned the dog or the condition of the canine after the attack.
Toliver was additionally charged with battery after punching his girlfriend on the side of the head.
He was booked into the Pinellas County Jail.
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