2 dogs killed after owner opened fire during fight in Fort Lauderdale, cops say

A fight involving multiple dogs in a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood ended with the owner of one of them opening fire, killing two dogs and leaving two others injured Friday morning, police said.

The incident unfolded around 9:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Northwest 7th Street.

Fort Lauderdale Police spokesperson Casey Liening said a resident was taking his dog for a walk on a leash when they were approached by four other dogs not on leashes that became aggressive.

The five dogs were involved in a fight when the resident pulled out a gun and started shooting, Liening said.

Four of the dogs were hit, and two of them were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The other two dogs were taken to a local veterinarian hospital.

The dog that had been on the leash was also hospitalized with serious injuries as a result of the attack by the other dogs, Liening said.

The man who shot the dogs told NBC6 he was trying to defend himself and his dog, Sky.

“You know, I had to defend him, it’s like four dogs,” said the man. “So I tried to step in front of him like, you know, use my legs to like get back, but went around and that’s when one dog, you know, fighting the dog.”

Police said the other owner of the four dogs suffered a bite injury to his hand while trying to break up the fight and was treated at the scene before he went with his two surviving dogs to the veterinarian hospital.

Aerial footage from Chopper 6 showed multiple officers at the scene and the bodies of the dogs covered by yellow tarps in the yard of a home.

Liening said all five dogs were of a relatively large breed, including pit bulls and mastiffs. She said there was at least one other documented incident involving the same five dogs.

“We are not looking at any criminal charges on the shooter, it appears as though at this time, preliminarily, that the shooter was acting in self-defense of him and his dog,” Liening said.

The owner of the four dogs could face fines or arrest for not having them on leashes, Liening said.

Investigators are trying to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident but said all parties were cooperating with the investigation.