Pasco County Man Arrested After Shooting Neighbor's Dog 10 Times

BLANTON, FL – A Blanton man has been arrested for animal cruelty after Pasco County deputies say he shot a dog at least 10 times when it innocently wandered into his yard.

Pasco deputies arrested Terry Lee Parrish, 60, of 34715 Orange Belt Drive, Blanton, after he repeatedly shot the dog with a .22-caliber rifle.

Deputies say the dog belonged to a neighbor and escaped from the neighbor’s fenced yard.

Another neighbor who witnessed the shooting, which took place in the evening on Thursday, March 1, said Parrish appeared intoxicated. She said he began yelling at the dog even though it was posing no threat to him. He then retrieved his rifle and kept approaching and shooting the dog even after it tried to limp away. She added that there were children playing outside at the time and feared one of them would be hit by a stray bullet.

The veterinarian treating the dog’s injuries told deputies that at least two of the gunshot wounds were from the side indicating that the dog was not attacking Parrish.

When questioned, deputies said Parrish initially said the dog attacked him. He later admitted that the dog had calmly roamed into his yard and posed no threat.

Deputies say the dog, a 9-year-old American pitbull terrier named Brisco, survived his gunshot wounds. He is now back home with his owners Stacie Childs and Chad Wright of 34751 Orange Belt Drive, after several surgeries.

Parrish was booked into the Land O' Lakes Detention Center on a $5,000 bond.

Image via Pasco Sheriff