Do You Know This Man? Police Believe He Shot 2 Dogs In Pembroke Pines
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PEMBROKE PINES (CBSMiami) -- Pembroke Pines Police are searching for a man who shot two dogs while they were in the backyard of their own home.
The Golden Retrievers' owner, Charles Mione, returned home to find 'Madie' died in his backyard and Max injured on Sunday, December 3rd, police said.
"I miss my dog and I want justice for her," Mione said.
The dogs had been left alone in the backyard of the Pasadena Lakes home, 1901 NW 82 Terrace, for about five hours. In that time, they appeared to have been struck with steel BBs.
Surveillance video showed the dogs sleeping in the backyard and later being woken up.
Moments later, video shows the dogs being struck by the steel BBs as they were standing by the rear door.
Cameras later captured Madie's death just before 8 p.m. The video is embedded below, but be warned the footage is disturbing.
(WARNING: CONTENT OF FOOTAGE MAY BE CONSIDERED DISTURBING)
Mione told CBS 4 News he found Madie when he returned home a short time later.
"I went around the side of the house and there she was laying in a pool of blood," he explained.
Mione says he misses Madie every day and so do his kids.
"My kids have taken it very badly because they were close to the dogs," Mione said.
Police are focusing on a bald, barefoot man captured on a neighbor's surveillance camera walking away from the area a couple of hours later. He was possibly carrying a rifle, police say. Investigators believe he might be connected to the shooting.
CBS4 camera captured Max peeking out from the front window of the home Thursday. Mione said the steel BB is still inside him.
"He has a BB fragment close to his aorta," Mione said. "The veterinarian is concerned is might scratch or scar or puncture his aorta."
Mione, who is pursuing a civil lawsuit in this case, said that as veterinarians examined her body, Madie was found to have another BB inside her apparently from a previous shooting. Mione didn't even know she'd been shot.
Mione says the animals have been targeted over the years and he's heard complaints from a particular neighbor about his dogs barking.
But he says he cannot understand why anyone would take aim at defenseless animals.
"There's no telling what goes through people's minds, what agitates people," he said. "If the barking is an issue just a knock on front door would have sufficed."
He wants the person who took Madie's life caught and prosecuted.
"I want to see justice for her," he said. "She's an innocent dog, just minding her own business. Dogs bark. I want to see justice for her."
While police have not been able to identify the culprit, cameras captured parts of a person seen in the area of the home.
Video shows a bald white male walking away from the crime scene while carrying what appears to be a rifle.
Detectives believe this was not a random incident. The think the person responsible for the crime is familiar with the dogs and possibly lives in the area.
Anyone with information is urged to call investigators at (954) 431-2200 or Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS.
You can remain anonymous and you could be eligible for a reward.
