A man shot a pit bull mix that he said charged him in the front yard of a Palm Bay home Tuesday morning, police said.

The incident occurred just before 8 a.m. on the 2900 block of Wilkinson Ave. SE, and the dog was later put down.

The owner of the approximately 1-year-old dog, Squid, however, disputes that the dog posed any danger.

"He's never been aggressive to anyone," said Seth Revelle, a 26-year-old senior airman with the 45th Space Wing at Patrick Air Force Base.

No one else witnessed the shooting, and the homeowner who shot Squid could not immediately be reached for comment.

Revelle said he received a warning from animal control officers because the tan-and-white dog weighing 50 to 60 pounds had gotten loose.

He adopted Squid in March from the South Animal Care and Adoption Center in Melbourne, operated by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office. The dog lived in a home with children ages 5 and 7.

After being shot in the left side, the dog returned to its home some 150 feet away on Creech Ave. SE, where Revelle said his girlfriend found him wounded and bleeding. Squid had to be put down.

The Sheriff's Office's Animal Services unit is investigating the shooting. No information was available from the unit Tuesday afternoon.

Staff writer Lamaur Stancil contributed to this report.

Contact Dean at 321-242-3668 orjdean@floridatoday.com. And follow on Twitter at@flatoday_jdeanand on Facebook atfacebook.com/jamesdeanspace.

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