A 40-year-old Lake Worth man, Lorenzo Franco-Alcocer, was arrested on Tuesday after three dogs were dragged behind his pickup truck in Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office apprehended Franco-Alcocer near the 3000 block of Melaleuca Lane.
The founder of Big Dog Ranch Rescue, Lauree Simmons, quickly sprang into action to help the animals once she learned of the case. The dogs, now renamed Pirata, Nano, and Chispa, suffered extensive injuries, including cuts, abrasions, and in one case, complete loss of skin and paw pads. Simmons described the severity of their condition, stating, “One of them is completely missing all of his skin, all of his paw pads.” The rescue organization is providing the necessary medical care and attention to help the dogs recover.
According to the arrest report, a witness observed Franco-Alcocer driving at approximately 15-20 mph with the dogs tied to the back of his silver Chevrolet pickup truck. When deputies arrived at Franco-Alcocer’s residence, he claimed that he had tied the dogs to the truck so they could relieve themselves but forgot they were there when he left for a work call. The deputies found the dogs in a crate, whimpering and licking their paws.
Simmons expressed concern that Franco-Alcocer did not seek veterinary care for the dogs after the incident, instead leaving them in an outdoor crate. “Then after he was called out about it, he took the dogs home and did not take them to the vet,” Simmons said. “He put them in the outside crate.”
The dogs were initially taken to Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control before being transferred to Big Dog Ranch Rescue for further care. Simmons hopes for justice to be served and for the dogs to be placed in loving homes. “We’re just hopeful that justice is served for them, and we can place them into loving homes that they deserve, no longer to experience pain and abuse they’ve suffered,” she said.
Franco-Alcocer faces a charge of aggravated animal cruelty. He posted a $7,500 bond and was released from custody on April 22.
