Henry Reginald Johnson was accused of hanging a pregnant pit bull from a tree. He was arrested in January after a witness said they saw Johnson drape the dog's leash over a large tree limb and pull the pit bull about two to three feet off the ground.
At the time Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control took the dog into custody to have her evaluated by a veterinarian.
The jury returned the not guilty verdict in less than 45 minutes Thursday evening in a Palm Beach County courtroom.
Deputies said when they arrived on scene, they saw a gray pit bull that appeared to be pregnant lying on the ground. A leash was sitting on the ground next to the dog, according to an arrest report.
The person who called the sheriff's office spoke to deputies and told them they believed Johnson, 37, was going to kill his dog Trinity, the report states.
Deputies said the woman saw Johnson walk the dog outside, and moments later she heard Trinity yelping and screaming.
According to the report, the witness looked out her window and saw Johnson draping the dog's leash over a large tree limb and pulling Trinity about two to three feet off the ground from her neck.
"[The witness] stated the dog was spotted wiggling while being hung and managed to get out of her collar and fall to the ground," a deputy wrote.
(WPTV - May 24, 2013)
