Police: Central Florida man beat pet dog to death with bat
By Amanda Dukes
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CLERMONT, Florida (WESH) — A Central Florida man has been accused of beating a pet dog to death with a baseball bat.
Brian Keith Rumbler, 62, of Lake Mary, has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty.
Six-year-old Fenway, a rescue dog that was a mix between a labrador and a basset hound, was the beloved dog of brothers Brian and Brendan Velms.
“He was always happy. Every time you went on a walk, he’s the type of dog to lick everybody,” Brian Velms said.
The Velms brothers are emotional because Clermont police say on Sunday, 62-year-old Rumbler killed Fenway by striking the dog on the head with a baseball bat.
“This is just something so bizarre and traumatic,” Brian Velms said.
According to the arrest affidavit, Rumbler is the boyfriend of the mother of the two young men and recently moved into their Clermont home.
Rumbler told police he was home alone with Fenway on Sunday and that the dog bit him on his hand, so he retrieved a baseball bat and struck the dog on the top of his head, killing him.
“There’s just no need to do that for any animal. If it bites you, just walk away and leave it alone,” Brendan Velms said.
The Velms brothers admit that Fenway has bitten people before but he only did it if someone tried to touch him while he was eating or sleeping and that both their mother and Rumbler had been warned.
According to police, Animal Control determined that Rumbler was not being actively attacked by the dog when he struck him with the bat, so Rumbler was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty.
WESH 2 News has not been able to make contact with Rumbler.
The Velms brothers say they have moved out of their mother’s home, and they hope Rumbler will eventually be sentenced to jail time.
“Nothing like this should ever happen to any animals like this did,” Brendan Velms said.
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