AVENTURA, FL–
A 22-year-old man has been arrested after he was caught abusing two puppies in a Walgreens parking lot.
The incident was reported Saturday on Aventura Boulevard.
A responding police officer reported that he heard the sound of puppies wailing as he entered the parking lot.
He then drove around to find out where the sound was coming from.
As the officer approached the area, two witnesses pointed out a man sitting on the ground facing a bush.
“He’s killing the dogs!” one witness yelled.
The officer approached the suspect, identified as Justin Lancaster of Fort Lauderdale, with his gun out and asked him to lay on his stomach. Lancaster reportedly looked back at the officer but did not follow commands.
He then appeared to put something around the necks of the puppies as they cried out.
The officer released that Lancaster was not armed and put his gun away, but punched Lancaster in the face when he stiffed his body as the officer tried to take him into custody.
One of the puppies was said to have run off during the struggle to take Lancaster into custody, however, it was found a short time later.
Authorities say both dogs were “visibly hungry, shaking and scared.”
“When officers attempted to pick up the puppies, they both collapsed into the bush as if they were extremely exhausted from fighting off (the) defendant’s efforts to hurt them,” the report said.
The puppies have been taken to Hollywood Animal Hospital for treatment.

Lancaster was taken into custody for animal abuse and resisting arrest without violence.