Dad shoots dog he believes attacked his daughter and gets arrested, FL cops say

A dog suspected of biting a girl was shot by her father as it hid in its owner’s vehicle, according to investigators in the Florida Panhandle.

Now the man faces charges.

It happened around 5 p.m. Saturday, April 26, near Tallahassee, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office said in an April 28 news release.

“Deputies made contact with the dog’s owners, who reported that their pet had run out of the house unsupervised and approached the suspect’s daughter,” the sheriff’s office said.

“The suspect ... then discharged a firearm at the dog. The pet’s owner secured the dog inside their vehicle at their vehicle. (The suspect) then opened the door of the vehicle and fired one more time, striking the dog.”

The gunshot wound is not life threatening, but details of the dog’s condition have not been released.

Investigators say the girl did not show evidence of injuries from “an alleged dog bite.”

Her 30-year-old father left the scene, but was located and arrested on April 27, officials say. He has been charged with armed burglary of a conveyance, aggravated animal cruelty and child abuse (causing extreme mental distress), the sheriff’s office said.