POLK COUNTY, Fla. -- A 31-year-old Avon Park man was arrested by Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies Friday for failure to appear on an earlier charge on animal cruelty.
Michael Granger, who is employed as a Florida Department of Corrections officer at the Avon Park Correctional Institution is accused of punching his German Shepherd dog on March 7.
Granger's neighbor alerted authorities to the man punching, picking up and throwing down the dog while bathing the dog outside.
Granger was charged with a misdemeanor count of animal cruelty and given a notice to appear in court on June 10. The dog was seized by Polk County Animal Control, treated for soft tissue injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.
When Granger failed to appear for his court date, authorities issued a bench warrant and arrested him the same day.
