FCSO: Palm Coast Man Shot & Killed Dog In Self-Defense

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Palm Coast, FL - No charges will be filed against a 69-year-old Palm Coast man after he admitted to shooting and killing an "aggressive" dog which belonged to a neighbor while taking his out for a walk.

The Flagler County Sheriff's Office says an investigation into the Sunday morning incident at Westchester Lane in Palm Coast upheld the man's claim that he fired in self-defense.

"This is an unfortunate, tragic neighborhood situation," said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly.

That man - who WNDB is not identifying since he wasn't charged - told FCSO he was walking his puppy near his home when a 5-year-old German Shepherd mix named Caroline and another German Shepherd mix (name and age not released) approached him and his dog around 9:20 a.m. Sunday.

According to the incident report, the man tried to walk back home with his dog, but the two German Shepherds followed. He claims he pulled out a gun from his pants pocket when Caroline tried to bite him and his dog, shooting her and causing the other German Shepherd mix to run away.

FCSO found out later on that the German Shepherds belonged to a woman who lived on Westcliffe Lane. She told them that her dogs managed to escape from the backyard earlier that morning and that her dogs had escaped in the past and roamed the neighborhood.

"While we never want to hear about the killing of an pet, pet owners must be responsible and watch over their animals," Staly added. "If you know your pet to be aggressive, it is your responsibility to keep them on your property or on a leash."

That woman, per the report, and other family members were searching the neighborhood for the dogs when they heard a "loud pop". Minutes later, they found Caroline dead in the street from what appeared to be a bullet hole in the head.

Other neighbors also confirmed that those dogs had gotten loose in the past and acted aggressive towards other people, per the report.