'A very scary person:' Woman pulled out gun when denied dog adoption, Tampa police say

Woman pulls out gun after dog adoption turns sour

The Tampa Police Department is investigating after a woman pulled out a gun when it appeared she would not be getting a dog she wanted to adopt.

TAMPA, Fla. - Two women ended up in a fight, and one pulled out a gun, when a dog adoption went sour in Tampa over the weekend, according to police.

The Tampa Police Department says officers responded to the 1900 block of Meadowbrook Ave around 12 p.m. During the altercation, authorities say one of the women pulled out a gun.

Bluey

The Rags to Riches Animal Rescue Group says they were meeting a potential owner interested in adopting a dog when they say she refused to give the dog back and then pulled a gun on them.

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Dominique Amerosa and her mom both run the animal rescue group and were doing what's called a ‘meet and greet’ for their 2-year-old rescue pug named Bluey.

Bluey

It's the first step in a dog adoption to see if the owner and the dog will be a good fit. When they realized it wasn't, Amerosa said the woman didn't take it well.

"She [put] the gun to the back of my head here, makes me crouch and then she moved it to my temple," Amerosa said. "That's where I got the cut. I don't know what was on her gun."

Bluey uses a wheelchair after being hit by a car and needs special care. When they explained to the woman that it wouldn't be a good fit given she had several other dogs with her, she refused to hand the dog back over and then elbowed Amerosa's mother as she tried to grab it, according to Amerosa.

Amerosa caught video of the woman involved in the dog adoption

"That's when I started just screaming a bunch in hopes that someone would come out, and my lovely neighbor came out and saw her with my mom and then ran in her house to call 911," Amerosa said.

That's when Amerosa says she threatened to let the woman's other dogs go if she didn't give back Bluey. That's when she says the woman threw the dog back to Amerosa's mom. Just moments later Amerosa shot a 3-second video trying to get the woman's license plate. It cuts off right as she comes around the car with what appears to be a gun in a holster in her hand.

"Next thing I knew, I hear her cocking a gun. Nobody was around her. She went in her car and got it," Amerosa said. "And then in like the span of 3 to 4 seconds, I had the gun to the back of my head, to my temple. And then before she walked off, she pushed it off my forehead."

Amerosa with Bluey

That's when the woman left, Amerosa said, but the police quickly tracked her down. At this time, she's not facing any charges. The investigation is still pending.

"That is a very scary person. Not a safe person for the community so I hope they do their jobs in charging her," Amerosa said.

Bluey

Tampa Police say the woman's gun was taken into evidence and say at this time TPD and the State Attorney’s office are both conducting investigations to determine the most appropriate charges.

As for Bluey, they say she is safe and they will continue to look for a good home for her.

Officers took reports from the women involved in the fight and from witnesses. Both women told police conflicting stories about what led to the fight, according to officials.

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