Cape Coral, Fla. (WFLA) — A woman has been arrested after scattering multiple dogs at a dog park, the Cape Coral Police Department said.
At about 8:41am on April 12, officers answered the call by calling a woman in her 60s walking outside the Rotary Park Dog Park and spraying something on multiple dogs.
The caller told officers that one of the dogs had to wash their eyes off of what was sprayed on their face, police said.
When officers arrived at the dog park, they spoke with an eyewitness who pointed out Charlene Tedesco, 67, who sprayed multiple dogs inside the park.
Witnesses say executive Tedesco will be walking around the outside of the fence, and when a dog inside the park’s five-foot fence approaches her and her dog, she will spray something on the dog.
Another witness said the dog was sprayed on his eyes, screaming, crying, and trying to rub his eyes against the dirt, police said.
The dog owner and eyewitness washed the dog’s eyes with a hose.
The CCPD said another witness allowed Tedesco to spray the dog if he was too close to the fence.
The dog, who was sprayed on his eyes, had to be dragged by a hose to blow its eyes, but Tedesco was the only person nearby, the dog owner told the officer.
The official spoke with Tedesco and said several people said she was scattering her dog through the fence.
Tedesco told officers he would spray the dog’s legs with pepper spray because he was worried that she would attack her, CCPD said.
Tedesco and her dog walk around the outside perimeter rather than going to the dog park.
According to the CCPD, the officer determined that Tedesco was never in danger as the fence was between her and the dog playing in the park, and Tedesco used the dog to use pepper spray to cause pain.
Tedesco was taken to the Lee County Jail and charged with animal cruelty.
