
Florida man allegedly admitted to viciously beating tiny dog
James Michael Lyster was arrested on aggravated cruelty to animal charges for allegedly beating his Pomeranian dog nearly to death.


A 52-year-old man in Florida was arrested this week after he nearly beat his dog to death, thrashing the defenseless animal so thoroughly that blood spatter was found in multiple rooms of his home, authorities said. James Michael Lyster was taken into custody on Monday and charged with one count of felony aggravated animal cruelty, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office announced.
“At the front door, deputies observed blood spatter on the ground leading to that apartment,” the sheriff said during a Wednesday afternoon news conference. “The suspect eventually opened the door, and when asked if he had a dog, the suspect dropped an 8-year-old Pomeranian without saying one word. The shaking dog’s face was covered in blood, and it was actively bleeding from its nose, and it was so injured that it could not stand.”
When the “shocked” deputies asked Lyster what had happened, Lyster allegedly replied, “I got mad,” the sheriff said.
“Blood was splattered across the wall where Lyster had kicked Benji into it,” Marceno said. “Veterinarians discovered that Benji had suffered a broken jaw, internal bleeding in his abdomen, and he will need additional surgeries in the future to remove his broken teeth.”
Lyster is a convicted felon with a history of criminal activity in other states, according to the sheriff’s office.