Dog Shot Twice In Head; Holiday Man Charged With Animal Cruelty

HOLIDAY, FL — A 59-year-old Holiday man is facing animal cruelty charges after firing two shots from a handgun, hitting a dog in the head.

According to Pasco County sheriff's deputies, shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday, three dogs were running loose about 1,000 yards from their owner's home on Society Drive while the dogs' owner was inside the home.

Deputies said Darren Salinger of Albion Street pulled up in a white pickup truck and fired a handgun twice from the window of the truck, striking one of the dogs in the head.

Salinger then pulled away without trying to help the injured dog.

Deputies responded to the scene and the dog was rushed to a veterinarian for treatment.

While deputies were at the scene, Salinger pulled up in his pickup truck and was arrested. He's charged with committing an act of excessive cruelty that resulted in a dog's pain and suffering, and discharging a firearm from a vehicle.

During an interview, he admitted to shooting the dog, but the sheriff's office didn't say if Salinger gave a reason for his actions.