A dog walker charged with animal cruelty in Medford, Massachusetts, is expected to appear in court Monday.
Officers responded to Fellsway West and Sheridan Avenue at about 11 a.m. Sunday for a report of animal abuse, Medford police said.
Witnesses reported seeing a man who was walking a group of dogs strike one of the dogs repeatedly in the head, then lift the dog off the ground by its collar “in a harmful manner,” according to police.
Police said one witness even got video of the alleged animal abuse and shared it with them.
Subsequent videos showed the dog walker yelling racial slurs at a man who confronted him about his treatment of the dogs in his care.
Officers were able to identify the dog walker as 33-year-old Frederick Ingrando of Medford. He was arrested at his home.
Ingrando was a provider on the pet care services app “Rover.”
In a statement to NBC10 Boston Sunday, a spokesperson for Rover said in part, “We were shocked and disturbed to learn of this abhorrent behavior — there is zero tolerance for this type of treatment of pets in our community. Upon learning of these allegations, our 24/7 Trust and Safety Team suspended the pet care provider's account and is conducting a full investigation.”
The spokesperson said they will assist law enforcement with this investigation in any way they can.
Ingrando is scheduled to be arraigned at Somerville District Court Monday.
