July 2 (UPI) — A Florida man who shot his dog in the face after he said it had bitten his fiancée has been sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by 42 months of probation.
Deputies with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office were called to the home of Jamier Lee-Bright in April 2022 after his neighbors called 911 to report gunshots, prosecutors said in a news release Thursday.
Responding deputies found Lee-Bright cleaning blood from his back patio with a garden hose. His dog, named Rocky, was found alive covered in blood with two gunshot wounds.
Lee-Bright told investigators he shot his dog in the head after it bit his fiancée. Prosecutors claimed that the fiancé did not sustain any injuries.
Rocky made a full recovery after undergoing surgery and was adopted by Hayden Ore, an employee of the sheriff’s office that arrested Lee-Bright.
Lee-Bright pleaded guilty to charges of cruelty to animals and tampering with physical evidence and will also be placed on an animal abuse registry and is required to have no contact with any animals.
He has also been ordered to complete a mental health evaluation and forfeit his firearm to the sheriff’s office.
“Justice has finally been served to Rocky’s shooter,” said Sheriff Rick Staly in a statement. “Lashing out against your pet is never the right answer.”
