PALMETTO, Fla. — A Hardee County Sheriff's Office deputy is out of a job and facing a criminal charge after the agency says it was made aware of "concerning behavior" toward animals in his care off-duty.
Nicholas Zotto, 29, was immediately terminated Wednesday, the sheriff's office said. Zotto had been with the agency since April 2022. In addition, the State Attorney's Office says that it is charging Zotto with animal cruelty, a first-degree misdemeanor, based on video evidence and recommendations from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and Animal Services.
The video reportedly showed him abusing a dog named Grizzly.
According to the Hardee County Sheriff's Office, a series of videos were brought to the agency's attention showing "concerning behavior" from Zotto's treatment of animals. Zotto is said to be the owner of Pawsome Sitters LLC in Manatee County.
"The Hardee County Sheriff's Office is committed to upholding the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and service to our community," the agency said, in part. "Deputy Zotto's actions have fallen short of the ethical and moral standards we demand from all members of our law enforcement team."
According to the State Attorney's office, Zotto is also cited by the Manatee County Animal Services for operating Pawsome Sitters in ways that violated civil ordinances.
Zotto served as an officer with the Bradenton Police Department from October 2020 to September 2021 when he "resigned, effective immediately," spokesperson Meredith Censullo Frameli said in an email.
The exact nature of his resignation wasn't immediately known.
A Facebook page criticizing Pawsome Sitters created on Sunday, Oct. 30, alleges having the surveillance videos and sharing them on the page. The videos appear to show a person roughly handling dogs on separate occasions, dragging them and even hitting a dog after chasing and cornering it in a fenced-in yard.
The page also had a link to a Change.org petition calling for Pawsome Sitters to be shut down.
10 Tampa Bay reached out to Manatee County, and a spokesperson confirmed animal welfare services have an open investigation into Zotto and Pawsome Sitters.
"As it is an ongoing investigation working through the Animal Cruelty Task Force, that is all we can say," a statement from the county said, in part.
According to Google, Pawsome Sitters is "permanently closed" and the business website wasn't active. A post from Oct. 27, 2021, on Nextdoor appears to be from Zotto introducing his business to the Palmetto community. In the post, Zotto says he served with the NYPD for six years, noting he had experience working with K-9 units and had "extensive amounts of training." He also said he was a member of the U.S. Coast Guard and was working with a "local police agency" in Florida.
Manatee County court records show a small claims case filed in August 2023 against Zotto regarding Pawsome Sitters. According to the complaint, the dog owner alleged his pet developed wounds on his face while he was in Zotto's care. A judge ruled in the plaintiff's favor after Zotto failed to appear.