A man who seriously injured a dog after shooting the animal in the face was sentenced to 18 months in prison, authorities in Florida said.
The dog, Rocky, underwent surgery after being shot in the muzzle at a home in Palm Coast, about 40 miles southeast of Jacksonville, in April of last year. Rocky has since been adopted by an employee of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the agency said in a news release Thursday.
The man, Jamier Lee-Bright, pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty and tampering with physical evidence. He was also sentenced to 42 months of probation.
Lee-Bright will also be placed on the animal abuse registry and asked to have no contact with any animals, complete a mental health evaluation and surrender his firearm to the sheriff’s office.
“Justice has finally been served for Rocky’s shooter,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement. “Lying against your pet is never the right answer.”
Flagler County deputies were called to the home after residents reported hearing gunshots. A man in the house, Jamier Lee-Bright, initially denied hearing anything. But deputies became suspicious after they noticed smears of blood on Lee-Bright’s face and saw a freshly dug hole in the corner of her backyard.
Lee-Bright allegedly told detectives who called the home for help that she woke up to a family member screaming that Rocky had bitten her, according to the news release. Lee-Bright said he grabbed a firearm, took the dog outside and shot the dog once in the head he says.
He then dragged the dog inside, locked it in the kennel and tried to clean the blood off his yard, authorities said. The dog had been left in the kennel for more than two hours before authorities arrived.
Rocky was found in the house in visible pain and taken to an animal hospital. The bullet went through his muzzle and lower lip, his neck and shoulder area and his left front leg, the sheriff’s office said. The dog had to have staples in his muzzle, a drain in his neck, numerous stitches and a metal pin in his leg.
State’s Attorney RJ Larizza said in a news release Thursday that it was a miracle Rocky survived.
The dog has since been adopted by Hayden Ore, a crime analyst with the sheriff’s office, and his wife. The couple said the dog has shown no signs of aggression and is a wonderful addition to the family, according to the statement.
“Fortunately, Rocky now lives happily with Analyst Ore and his wife and no longer has to live in fear,” said Sheriff Staly.
