NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — Deputies have arrested a Volusia County man they say is the driver seen in a surveillance video who intentionally ran over a dog, getting out of his truck, kicking the dog's body with his boot, and driving off.

• Driver of pickup seen on surveillance video running down dog
• Deputies arrested Volusia County man on animal cruelty charges
• Mom of 12-year-old owner of dog wants man to "be an example"

"He was just the sweetest dog. He would never hurt a fly," Johanna Itani said Monday.

She is the mother of the 12-year-old girl who owned the Australian cattle dog named Thomas, whose body was found dead on the side of the road on Thursday evening near the family's home.

“How could somebody do this? How, to an animal, to a human, anything with a soul, how could you? You must be heartless," Itani said.

The graphic incident was captured on a neighbor's surveillance video that was turned over to investigators. Authorities say the video shows a white pickup truck swerve sharply at the dog before running over him.

The driver then got out, walked over to the dog, nudged him with his boot, and kicked him before getting back in his truck and driving away, Volusia County Sheriff's deputies say.

"He was at full speed. There is no doubt in my mind that it was intentional," Itani said.

Itani tried to prevent her daughter from finding out what happened to the dog, but she ended up seeing the video. 

"She just wanted answers," Itani said of her daughter. "'I just want to know why,' she asked. 'He would never hurt anybody. Why would he do that to my dog, Mom? Why?' and she would cry and cry and cry."

Surveillance video and a witness led investigators to identify 29-year-old Robert Joseph Kayat as the driver of the pickup truck. Deputies said he expressed remorse and claimed he intentionally swerved his truck at the dog to spook it, not run it over.

Itani wants him to pay. 

"I do want to see him serve some time, pay some fines. You know, sometimes people learn the hard way, and he’ll be an example for other people that you can't just do this to somebody or something or an animal and get away with it," she said.

Kayat was charged with felony animal abuse and held on a $2,500 bond. 

Itani's family is looking into getting surveillance cameras for their own home after going through this.