June 18, 2019—The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the cruel shooting of a 4-month-old puppy in Bristol, Florida.

The Case: The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about an injured puppy near the W.R. Tolar K-8 School in Bristol and reached out to the Leon County Humane Society in Tallahassee for assistance. Teachers and school personnel reported seeing a badly injured puppy with a bloody paw seeking shelter around the school buildings. Volunteers from the Leon County Humane Society secured the puppy on Monday, June 10, and immediately took him to an emergency veterinarian in Tallahassee.

Animal Cruelty: Violence against animals is a crime that affects entire communities. The connection between animal cruelty and human violence is well documented. Studies show a correlation between animal cruelty and many other crimes, from narcotics and firearms violations to battery and sexual assault. Securing the serious attention and engagement of law enforcement officials, prosecutors and residents in cases involving allegations of cruelty to animals is an essential step in protecting the whole community.

“This was a senseless act of heinous cruelty to an innocent puppy,” said Kate MacFall, Florida state director for the Humane Society of the United States. “We hope that anyone with information about this terrible crime will come forward.”

The Investigators: The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office is investigating this crime. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call 850-643-2235.

Resources: The Humane Society of the United States’ Animal Cruelty Campaign raises public awareness and educates communities about the connection between animal cruelty and human violence while providing a variety of resources and support to law enforcement agencies, social work professionals, educators, legislators and families. We offer rewards in animal cruelty cases across the country and work to strengthen laws against animal cruelty.

The Humane Society of the United States has doubled its standard cruelty reward from $2,500 to $5,000 thanks to a generous donation from a board member. For information on statistics, trends, laws and animal cruelty categories, click here.