A judge agreed Tuesday that Ponce Inlet police did not have proper consent to enter the home of a man accused of killing his dog.

  • Travis Archer is accused of beating his dog Ponce to death
  • A judge ruled police did not have proper consent to enter Archer's home
  • Judge still needs to decide if the situation warranted entering home without consent

The question remains, however, whether police still acted legally, in an emergency situation, when they discovered Ponce, the dog, beaten in the backyard.

While Travis Archer wasn't in the courtroom himself, his attorneys say officers illegally went into his home without a warrant.

Archer was arrested for animal cruelty in the dog's death back in April.

One officer testified that he heard the sounds of someone striking flesh as he approached the home. The officers then confronted Archer. 

Police body cams recorded the officers knocking on Archer's door. He is heard saying the dog bit his hands. Police ask if they can come in and take a look, and Archer refuses to let them in.

People have posted "Justice for Ponce" signs on their cars and ribbons to show their support for Ponce everywhere they go.

Supporters of harsher punishments for animal abuse came out strong, lining the street outside the courthouse and even packing every seat inside the courtroom.

"Abusers, they get off with a slap on the wrist and a fine and it's not acceptable," said Michele Weise. "It just makes a statement that it's OK to and it's not. If they got some jail time they might think twice."

The state says the dog was in the back of the home and needed help at that time, and that officers tending to a medical emergency are allowed in without a warrant.  

The judge will make a ruling on exigency in the next 10 days.