A 20-year-old Florida man has been arrested for kicking a puppy in the face and throwing it over a wall because it was eating food from a barbecue that did not belong to it.

The incident took place at Clearwater Beach in Pinellas County in the US state of Florida on 14th March.

The police said multiple witnesses saw the suspect, named as Noah Counts, kick the puppy and throw it over a wall.

He later told an officer that he was angry with the dog because it kept eating food from a charcoal grill, illegally set up on the beach, that was meant for other people.

The Clearwater Police Department said: “On Monday, officers arrested Noah Counts, 20, of Dade City for animal cruelty for an incident on Clearwater Beach.

“Multiple witnesses saw Counts kick a 3-month-old puppy in the face, drag it by its leash and throw it over a wall.

“He was booked in to the Pinellas County Jail.”

The police continued: “Counts shouldn’t have had the dog at the beach in the first place, because city ordinances do not allow dogs at that location.

“Officers also found a charcoal grill, which is illegal at the beach, and two open containers of alcohol, which also violate city ordinance.

“Counts told an officer he was upset with the dog because the puppy was eating food that did not belong to him.”