17-04-2025
Woman arrested after pepper spraying dogs at Florida dog park, police say
CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WFLA)— A woman was arrested after pepper-spraying multiple dogs at a dog park, the Cape Coral Police Department said.
On April 12, around 8:41 a.m., officers responded to a call in regards to a woman in her 60s walking outside of a Rotary Park Dog Park and spraying something at multiple dogs.
The caller told officers one of the dogs had to have its eyes flushed due to what was sprayed on its face, police said.
When officers arrived at the dog park, they spoke with a witness who pointed out Charlene Tedesco, 67, who had sprayed multiple dogs within the park.
The witness told officers Tedesco would walk around the outside of the fence, and when a dog within the five-foot fence at the park approached her and her dog, she would spray something at the dog.
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Another witness said a dog was sprayed in the eyes and was yelping, crying, and trying to rub its eyes in the dirt, police said.
The owner of the dog and the witness washed the dog's eyes out with a hose.
CCPD said another witness stated Tedesco admitted to spraying dogs if they get too close to the fence.
The dog that got sprayed in the eyes had to be dragged to the hose to spray its eyes, and Tedesco was the only one in the vicinity, the dog's owner told officers.
Officers spoke with Tedesco and said multiple people stated she was pepper-spraying their dogs through the fence.
Tedesco told officers she sprays dogs' feet with pepper spray because she's worried they'll attack her, CCPD said.
Tedesco and her dog do not go into the dog park, but walk the outside perimeter.
According to CCPD, officers determined Tedesco was never in danger due to the fence being between her and the dogs playing inside the park, and Tedesco utilized pepper spray on the dogs, causing them torment.
Tedesco was transported to the Lee County Jail and charged with animal cruelty.
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