A pet hotel owner in southern Brazil has come under investigation after videos emerged allegedly showing her repeatedly hitting dogs under her care.
The footage shows Ana Carla Leite striking a one-year-old Australian shepherd named Ravi inside a grassy play area at Hotelzinho Peludos Resort in Bonito.
Leite told police she was trying to break up a fight between Ravi and a Yorkshire terrier named Kowalski. She claimed Ravi had grabbed the smaller dog and refused to let go, prompting her to hit him while attempting to intervene.
Kowalski died during the incident.
Leite said she had been alerted by her daughter about the fight and rushed to the hotel. She acknowledged hitting Ravi, but denied intending to mistreat him, saying she was trying to save Kowalski.
Ravi’s owner, Vincent Lacerda, disputed her account, saying the dog had never previously shown aggressive behaviour and had stayed at the hotel since he was three months old.
Lacerda said he only learned about the incident after friends sent him the video. When Ravi was collected from the hotel, he appeared frightened and was behaving differently from usual, he said.
The dog was reportedly hungry, thirsty and dirty when he left the hotel and was later taken to a veterinarian. Lacerda said Ravi received medication and has since been doing well.
He also questioned the circumstances surrounding Kowalski’s death, claiming Ravi had no blood on him when he was removed from the hotel.
Meanwhile, a second video has emerged allegedly showing Leite mistreating another dog at the same facility.
The footage, recorded in February, allegedly shows a four-year-old Akita named Manjericao standing on a raised wooden platform while a decoration is placed around his neck. The dog appears to try to escape before falling from the platform, after which he is allegedly pulled back onto the table by one of his front legs and struck.
Manjericao’s owner, Muriel Xavier, said she was unaware of the alleged treatment until someone sent her the video.
She said she had trusted the hotel to care for Manjericao and another dog while she travelled. The pair had reportedly been staying at the facility since June 2025.
Xavier said Manjericao had previously returned from the hotel with a painful tail and minor injuries, which staff had attributed to fights with other dogs. She said she now intended to file a police report and wanted the allegations fully investigated.
Police initially registered the case as suspected animal cruelty and questioned Leite following complaints, but concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge her at that stage. The case was subsequently referred to prosecutors at the Mato Grosso do Sul Public Prosecutor’s Office for further consideration.
The second video emerged after Leite was questioned.
Leite said the allegations were being investigated internally and claimed the videos circulating had created “a distorted narrative that did not correspond with reality”.
