Man to be charged in Houston dog park shooting

'Support for Diesel' grew online

After the Jan. 25, 2015, shooting of a dog named Diesel at a Houston dog park, thousands of dog lovers on Facebook showed their support for the dog and its owner. 'Support for Diesel' grew online

After the Jan. 25, 2015, shooting of a dog named Diesel at a Houston dog park, thousands of dog lovers on Facebook showed their support for the dog and its owner. Photo: Dylan Baddour Photo: Dylan Baddour Image 1 of / 56 Caption Close Man to be charged in Houston dog park shooting 1 / 56 Back to Gallery

Almost two months after the incident, a man will be charged for shooting and killing a dog at a Houston dog park earlier this year.

Joseph Potts, 26, is charged with cruelty to non-livestock animal for the Jan. 25 incident at Bay Area Dog Park. He is not yet in custody.

Investigators say Potts shot the Staffordshire bull terrier named Diesel three times with a Glock 9 mm pistol, fearing for the safety of himself and his terrier after the two dogs began fighting.

Potts could face 2-10 years in prison if found guilty of the charge.

"Animal abuse is a serious offense that will not be tolerated," Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said in a statement to the press. "We take all allegations of cruelty to animals very seriously and pursue charges whenever appropriate."

Meanwhile, a Facebook page titled "Support for Diesel" has garnered more than 9,100 likes since the shooting, mostly from dog lovers who said the shooting wasn't necessary.

One dog appears with a sign that says "paws up don't shoot."

"Because of the circumstances he had every right to protect himself, but we have to look at the other side where witnesses say that isn't necessarily the case," Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Tom Gilliland told the Chronicle in January.

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"This case has gotten more notoriety than many of our homicides," Gilliland said.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, local laws require that "all dogs and cats must be kept under restraint while in the unincorporated areas of Harris County, Texas."

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"Restraint" is defined as "the control of a dog or cat under the following circumstances:

When it is controlled by a line or leash not more than six (6) feet in length, if the line or leash is held by a human being, who is capable of controlling or governing the dog or cat in question When it is within a fully enclosed vehicle When it is on the premise of the custodian and the animal does not have access to sidewalk or street."

Houston Chronicle reporter Dylan Baddour contributed to this report.