Florida man accused of poisoning his girlfriend's Maltese Poodle

TAMPA - A former Bartow police officer has been arrested for poisoning his girlfriend's dog because he did not like the pet, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies say that Edwin Campuzano, 22, killed the 3-year-old Maltese Poodle by adding poison pellets to the dog's food bowl while his girlfriend was on a trip.

Dig deeper:

Investigators honed in on a debit card purchase that showed Campuzano bought poison from Tractor Supply two days before the dog's death.

The incident happened in May 2025, but it was not reported to the sheriff's office until December 2025.

Once an arrest warrant was obtained on January 16, Campuzano decided to turn himself in.

Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Campuzano was a full-time law enforcement officer with Bartow police at the time of the incident, but he is no longer employed.

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What they're saying:

"Those who wear the badge are held to a higher standard, and when someone falls short of that responsibility, it reflects a serious failure of the values we are sworn to uphold," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "This innocent animal deserved care and protection, and the trust placed in him as a partner makes this loss all the more senseless."

He has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals.