Volusia County, FL - A Sheriff's deputy shot a dog on Thursday when it aggressively charged at him near New Smyrna Beach, and in a similar incident on Friday, another deputy shot a dog that charged at him in Deltona. Both incidents happened in homeless camps.
In Thursday's incident, the deputy was responding to a complaint about people trespassing and camping on private property in a wooded area off of Linda Rd, west of New Smyrna Beach and just north of SR-44. It was around 3 PM when he was walking through the woods and found a homeless camp. He was trying to make contact with the people there when a large, brown mixed breed boxer rushed at him, barking and baring its teeth.
The deputy drew his gun and yelled at the dog to scare it away but it kept charging at him. The deputy backed up into a tree, and unable to retreat any further he fired 2 rounds. At least one of the rounds hit the dog which then ran off into the woods.
A short time later, the dog was found lying down and was able to walk out of the woods on its own. Animal control officers transported the animal to Halifax Humane Society in Daytona Beach where it had to be euthanized.
In Friday's incident, a citizen called about a large homeless camp along East Graves Ave and I-4 in Deltona - citing conerns that children might be living in the woods there. Around 6:20 PM 2 Sheriff's deputies went to the area to investigate.
They walked into the woods and found the homeless camp about 50 yards away from the main trail where they stopped and talked to a woman. Then, according to VCSO, a pit bull "popped its head up and aggressively charged at one of the deputies." The owner was unable to get the dog under control and the deputy drew his weapon and shot the animal twice as it was lunging at him. Both rounds hit the dog which died from its injuries shortly thereafter.
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