MIAMI (WSVN/CNN) — A man has been arrested after surveillance video footage showed him abusing a puppy in an elevator.
Karim Ellaisy, 21, has been charged with animal cruelty after a neighbor took the video to police. The video goes on for six minutes.
In the video, you can see the 6-month-old puppy named Ajax peed on the floor. Ellaisy can then be seen hurling the husky into the wall and then striking Ajax repeatedly.
Authorities originally removed Ajax from the home, but brought him back when the learned Ellaisy is not the owner. Ajax belongs to his roommate.
When asked why the animal was returned to the home where Ellaisy lives, a Miami-Dade County Animal Services spokesperson said in a statement, “The arrested man was not the dog’s owner, and the dog remains in the custody of its owner.”
“It’s a regrettable situation,” said Ellaisy’s attorney, Richard Cooper. “I can tell you that my client has a clean criminal history, has never been arrested before in his life. He’s been skewered in the court of public opinion.”
Cooper could not get into specifics about what will happen next in the case, but he offered an update about the animal.
“Well, for my client’s safety and his privacy, I can’t really comment as to where he is, but I can tell you that the dog is safe. He is healthy,” said Cooper. “The day after the incident, he went to the vet and got a full clean bill of health. While I can’t comment on defenses pending criminal cases, I can tell you that while he’s being skewered in the court of public opinion, I believe that in court, he will be fully vindicated.”
Ellaisy’s court date is set for Feb. 28.
Courtesy WSVN and CNNewsource