PALM COAST, Fla. — Editor's Note: The video above is from an unrelated report.
A Palm Coast man was arrested Monday after detectives found a dog who had been shot in the face inside his home Saturday, according to a news release from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Jamier Lee-Bright, 25, was charged with felony cruelty to animals and tampering with physical evidence after allegedly shooting the dog, the release said. He was held on $7,500 bond.
Several neighbors of Lee-Bright called 911 Saturday afternoon, claiming to have heard gun shots and dogs yelping, an FCSO police report shows.
When deputies made contact with Lee-Bright, he was exhibiting “concerning” behavior and had what appeared to be blood on his face, which he claimed was from shaving.
Officers also noticed a freshly dug hole in Lee-Bright’s backyard. The suspect said he was planting a new tree, but there were no new or unplanted trees on the scene, according to a report by the responding deputy.
Detectives were called to the scene.
Lee-Bright told detectives he was woken up by a family member screaming that the dog had bitten her. He retrieved his firearm, took the dog outside and shot it in the head, he said, according to the news release.
Lee-Bright said he dragged the dog back inside and locked it in its kennel. He attempted to clean the blood of his patio to prevent anyone from knowing what happened.
Detectives entered the residence to find blood smeared across the floor, the case report shows.
They were able to locate the dog, who was “visibly in pain,” the release said. The investigation found that the dog was inside the kennel for over two hours before law enforcement arrived.
Responding deputy Bryan Frederick wrote in his report that officers transported the dog to Flagler Animal Hospital. The dog "lost consciousness on several occasions."
But there’s good news: The dog, Rocky, who was described by deputies as "medium male brindle shepherd/terrier mix," is going to be okay, FSCO said.
Rocky's injuries include a gun shot wound to the snout, as well as a second wound that entered through his chest and exited through is upper leg, which was left broken. He will recover fully in the care of Flagler Animal Hospital, deputies said.
“This is a sick and twisted individual to try and reprimand an animal and leave it to die,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “I’m glad the dog is doing well and expected to make a full recovery. I’d like to thank the detectives who were able to gather enough evidence to arrest this animal abuser along with Animal Control for helping get this dog to safety and taking care of his medical needs. Also to the neighbors who contacted us to report this incident, you may have very well saved this dog’s life. This was a great team effort everyone involved and I hope this guy never gets the privilege of owning a pet again.”