Former Bradenton Cop Turns Self In For Animal Cruelty Charge: Sheriff

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — A pet sitter and former Bradenton police officer wanted for an aggravated animal cruelty charge turned himself in at the Sarasota County Jail Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

Nicholas Zotto, 29, was arrested and later posted bail on a $1,500 bond, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Zotto was initially charged with animal cruelty in November, after videos surfaced of him being violent with Grizzly, a dog in his care at his pet-sitting business, Pawsome Sitters, in Palmetto.

The new charge stems from an incident at his business, which he was supposed to have shut down, the sheriff’s office said in an earlier news release.

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Detectives learned that Zotto was boarding dogs just weeks after he was issued a notice to appear for animal abuse and ordered to stop conducting business by Manatee County Code Enforcement.

Zotto boarded two dogs at his business, which was run out of a home, from Nov. 18-29. When the owner came to pick them up, “one of the dogs looked sick and was in obvious discomfort,” the sheriff’s office said.

A veterinarian found the dog, a chihuahua and mini Aussie shepherd mix, was suffering from open sores and severe dehydration.

Investigators learned that while in Zotto’s care, the dog “was left in a confined space and sat in its own filth for an extended period,” MCSO said.

An arrest warrant was issued for Zotto, charging him with aggravated animal cruelty. Deputies made attempts to arrest him, but he fled Manatee County and was believed to be in New York before he turned himself in.