LEE COUNTY, Fla. — A year after a dog was found wandering a neighborhood with its mouth taped shut, the man found guilty of animal abuse was sentenced to five years of probation.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office said Oscar Lee Thompson III was found guilty Feb. 6, 2020, of aggravated animal abuse. He was sentenced Monday morning.
In February 2019, animal services found a dehydrated male Florida Cur with its mouth taped shut walking through backyards in Lee County. Deputies said the dog was panting, drooling and nearly suffocating. The dog also had wounds on its left leg and chest.
Just a week after being rescued, the dog was named Chance, adopted by Sheriff Carmine Marceno and named an honorary deputy with the "Pets on Patrol" program at the sheriff's office.
According to WBBH in Fort Myers, a tip from Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers led deputies to Thompson. The station said Thompson denied hurting the dog, but investigators said his fingerprints matched what was taken from the tape.
"We appreciate all of the efforts from our partners at the State Attorneys Office who worked diligently with our Detective, Jami Najarro, on this case,” Marceno said in a Facebook post. “Together, as a community, we will continue to find, arrest and prosecute animal abuse in our County."
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