A 33-year-old Largo man has been charged with felony animal cruelty after investigators say he abandoned a dog outside Pinellas County Animal Services, where the animal was strangled by a chain around its neck.
According to an arrest affidavit, Travis Lamar Holte restrained the 25-pound female pit bull mix to a wooden fence outside the facility at 12450 Ulmerton Road shortly after 8:50 p.m. on September 12, 2026.
Investigators said the white-and-tan dog was left unattended after normal business hours without access to food, water or shelter. The chain reportedly tightened and constricted around the dog’s neck, causing her death by strangulation.
The affidavit states that the dog died as a direct result of the manner in which she was restrained and abandoned.
Holte was arrested on September 18 and charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, a third-degree felony under Florida law. His bond was set at $5,000.
