Santa Catarina's Civil Police has reclassified a teenager, whose image was released as a suspect in the dog Orelha mistreatment case, as a witness. The youth does not appear in the crime footage, and his family provided evidence he was not at the scene. The probe currently rules out attempts to drown another dog and links to online challenges.
Santa Catarina's Civil Police stated on Saturday (31) that one of the teenagers involved in the dog Orelha mistreatment case in Florianópolis has been reclassified as a witness. His image was initially released as a suspect, but he does not appear in the footage analyzed by investigators, supporting his family's account. Relatives provided evidence to police that the youth was not at Praia Brava during the crime, which occurred on January 4, 2026, and he denied involvement in his statement.
The names of those involved were not disclosed. Police still need to take the deposition of one suspect teenager. On Thursday (29), the cellphones of two of them were seized; the youths were on a graduation trip to Disney in the United States.
Orelha, a community dog from the Praia Brava area in northern Florianópolis, was allegedly beaten with sticks by the teenagers, per the investigation. Found injured by residents, it was taken to a veterinarian but euthanized due to severe injuries. The case was reported to police on January 16.
For now, police rule out that the teenagers tried to drown another dog named Caramelo, which survived and was adopted. There are no indications of ties to online challenges targeted at children and teens, a theory raised in publications about the case.
The incident drew national attention, with social media campaigns, protests, and statements from artists, influencers, and animal rights activists demanding justice. In addition to the teenagers, three adult men were indicted for witness coercion: a lawyer and two businessmen, relatives of the suspects (two fathers and one uncle). The report could not reach the defenses of those involved.
