No arrests expected in deadly shooting at Apollo Dog Park

Dog owner shoots, kills another dog at Apollo Beach Dog Park

FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer reports.

APOLLO BEACH, Fla. - No arrests are expected after a dog was shot and killed during a fight with another dog at an Apollo Beach dog park, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.

The Backstory: Deputies said on Monday, they received a call about the shooting at the Apollo Beach Dog Park. According to investigators, several witnesses told them a fight occurred between a Pit Bull and a Golden Doodle and the pit bull's owner didn't make an initial attempt to pull her dog away.

A witness who spoke with FOX 13, however, said the pit bull's owner was trying to help break up the fight when the Golden Doodle's owner shot and killed the pit bull.

"I heard him scream that he was going to shoot her dog, and then he pretty promptly took out a gun and shot it in the head," said the witness, who asked not to be identified. "It was just awful to see. I've never seen someone kill an animal, and it was not what I was expecting."

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What's next: The sheriff's office said they spoke with both dog owners and don't plan on making an arrest.

Tampa attorney Anthony Rickman explained why.

"Florida law allows you to use deadly force with a firearm to defend your dog. If you have a satisfactory belief that your dog is being killed by another animal or could possibly be killed," Rickman said.

Some dog owners who regularly visit the Apollo Beach Dog Park wonder if lethal force was necessary.

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"The regulars that are here all love animals, and they understand that there are steps you can take when dogs have fights to end them peacefully," the witness told FOX 13.

Rickman also said Florida law allows legal gun owners to be armed in public parks, unless it's specifically prohibited from that location. There was no sign prohibiting guns at that dog park.

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