- October 13, 2024
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A Palm Coast man was arrested on Feb. 27 and charged with shooting his dog in the head.
The man — Robert Williams, of the 200 block of Westhampton Drive, in Palm Coast — has been charged with animal cruelty and firing a gun inside a residence.
FCSO deputies had been called to the scene at around 9 p.m. when Williams reported a break-in at his home, saying his German shepherd had been shot in the head.
FCSO cleared the home, finding the dog in the master bedroom and no one else in the home beside Williams, according to his arrest report.
Williams told deputies that he thought he had been drugged.
He said that after he had returned home for the day, a friend who lived down the street came to visit and left after nightfall. But Williams could not provide a name or address for the friend, according to the report.
Shortly after, Williams told deputies, he’d started to feel “delusional,” and only remembered waking up to find his dog dead, with Williams’ two rifles nearby.
Deputies noted in the report that Williams kept going off-topic during their interview and trying to reenter the home.
Neighbors told deputies that a loud sound came from Williams’ home at around 8 p.m., though one neighbor reported hearing the dog barking at around 8:30 p.m., according to the report.
Deputies got a search warrant for the home and found multiple firearms there, including a .35 lever-action rifle with a spent casing inside.
Deputies then arrested Williams.
“This man tried to cover up his crime by claiming that an intruder killed his dog,” Sheriff Rick Staly said, according to a press release. “Violence is never the answer, especially violence against animals who cannot protect themselves. I hope he will never be able to have a pet again, and be held accountable for the death of his dog.”
Williams is being held in jail on no bond, according to the press release.
