Prior Complaints at Home Where Dog Was Shot

A Bradenton man walking his dog in his neighborhood shot a pit bull that he said broke free from a tree where the animal had been chained. He said that the pit bull attacked his dog.

The shooting occurred in the 5500 block of 16th Street West, sometime after 10:15 p.m. according to a Manatee County Sheriff's report. The dog belonged to Marquis McArthur who was not home at the time of the shooting.

Manatee County Animal Services had been called about the dog twice before Tuesday night's shooting, according to the agency's records.

Animal services workers were at the home Nov. 26 after the dog broke his chain and chased a small dog that was being walked in the neighborhood, according to a report filed with animal services. The smaller dog was not injured and the woman who was walking the dog declined to file an affadavit about the incident.

Two days later Animal Services workers were back at the house after someone reported that the dog was tied to a tree without any food or water, according to the report. When officers arrived to investigate, McArthur was "uncooperative" and the dog had been removed and was not tied outside, according to the report filed at Animal Services.

Richard Rucker, who shot the dog Tuesday night, holds a legal permit to carry a gun, and had the weapon with him when he was walking his pet.

Rucker, 52, "drew his legally carried handgun, and shot one round at the pit bull, striking it," according to the report. Rucker told deputies that he believed the dog would attack him and was in fear for his life when he shot the dog.

The dog ran into woods nearby after he was shot. When deputies arrived they found the pit bull dying from the gun shot wound. Deputies euthanized the dog, according to the Sheriff's report.

Manatee County Animal Services was called out to the scene. Animal Services  took the dog's body and later located and informed McArthur about what had happened, according to Joel Richmond, the enforcement supervisor for Animal Services.