Man gets probation and goes on vacation after leaving his puppies in Disney Springs parking garage

A man accused of leaving his puppies in his car at a Disney Springs parking garage last year took a plea deal and was recently sentenced to probation instead of jail so he could go on a European vacation.

Days before his criminal trial was scheduled to start last month, Wilson Nieves Cortes pleaded no contest to cruelty to animals, a third-degree felony, after one of his dogs died. Seven misdemeanor charges against him were dropped.

Nieves Cortes, 41, of Puerto Rico, was sentenced to three years of probation. In addition, he must donate $500 to a nonprofit helping animals, pay $518 in court fees and undergo a mental health evaluation, according to court records. He is also not allowed to have unsupervised contact with animals.

Court records showed Nieves Cortes was set to fly Sept. 28 to a “once in a lifetime trip” after his Sept. 22 plea deal.

“The Defendant had a previous planned trip with his family to Italy, the outskirts of Italy, Sweden, Greece and Croatia,” his lawyer said in an emergency motion to travel abroad. “The Defendant has not been on probation before and was unaware that he needed to have permission to travel.”

Orange Circuit Judge Barbara Leach signed off on his nearly month-long vacation, although she ordered him to share the trip itinerary with the probation office and check in when he returned home Oct. 21.

“While the Court grants the Motion, the Defendant should be aware of the Department of Corrections’ concerns regarding this travel” because Nieves Cortes was in the process of transferring his probation to Puerto Rico, the Judge wrote in her order.

Nieves Cortes’ lawyer and the Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office did not respond to a request for comment to discuss the outcome of the case.

Last year, Nieves Cortes left four Bernese Mountain Dog, Poodle and Australian Shepherd puppies he had just purchased in his black Mazda with the windows cracked in the Lime Parking Garage. He returned two hours later after taking his family into Disney Springs, looking for dinner. He told law enforcement he was surprised by the wait at the restaurants in Disney World’s popular outdoor complex.

Nieves Cortes left his new pets in the car on May 4, 2024, which had a heat index of 78 degrees, although the parking lot was shaded. 

One of the puppies was euthanized after it got tangled up and nearly suffocated in a collapsible crate in his car filled with bags and clothes, according to a media report.

Disney World firefighters who bonded with the animals adopted the three surviving puppies to give them new homes.

“The puppies adopted by the firefighters are truly lucky to be with these heroic guys and their families,” Central Florida Tourism Oversight District spokesman Matthew Oberly told Florida Politics.