ORLANDO, Fla. — The six-month investigation into the armed theft of a French bulldog in west Orange County led deputies to a much larger ring of puppy trafficking and animal cruelty, Sheriff John Mina said at a news conference Friday.
Three men have been arrested in the scheme, which Mina said involved stealing expensive dogs to resell or breed, keeping the animals in “deplorable conditions” and performing unsanctioned medical procedures on them.
The investigation began with a single dog theft: French bulldog Bugsy was taken at gunpoint March 25 from his owner Johnny Matos, when Matos and Bugsy were out for a walk near Hiawassee Road.
