A Florida man has been accused of stabbing his dog to death just moments after allegedly claiming it always took his girlfriend’s side in arguments.

Mike Lado, 26, is facing charges of animal cruelty after detectives say he attacked Blue, his Boxer-Labrador mix, on Thursday night.

Mike Lado Arrested for Stabbing Girlfriend’s Dog with Knife https://t.co/lxemalw7egpic.twitter.com/KscxiSH6Kh — Fugitive Watch (@FugitiveWatch) July 21, 2017

Lado had been out drinking for several hours before becoming embroiled in an argument with his partner at their home in Lee County, south of Sarasota, according to reports.

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The man’s girlfriend told detectives that Blue followed Lado into the kitchen during the row and began barking and growling. It is claimed that Lado then reached for a large butcher’s knife and stabbed the dog twice. The dog then bled to death at the home.

According to Fox 4 News, detectives writing in the arrest report describe blood on doors and in the hallway of the home.

Prior to the incident, Lado was said to have complained that the pet always took the woman’s side in disputes.

Baltimore police officer charged after slitting restrained dog’s throat http://t.co/hsVhjvliyDpic.twitter.com/CbxcgbDMUr — RT America (@RT_America) June 21, 2014

Lado’s girlfriend, who has not been named, adopted Blue from Gulf Coast Humane Society, a non-profit animal welfare group in southwest Florida.

Jennifer Galloway, the group’s CEO, said the incident was "a big kick in the gut."

"Dogs want to please. That's all they want to do, and all Blue was trying to do is protect his mom," she told NBC2.

Lado is currently being held on a $5,000 bond.