Florida woman arrested for shooting dog in head with crossbow as labrador 'had a history' of attacking chickens
NASSAU COUNTY, FLORIDA: A Florida woman who allegedly shot a dog in the head with a crossbow bolt has been arrested and charged over the disturbing incident that was almost fatal to the dog.
Officers from the Nassau County Sheriff's Office and Nassau County Animal Services responded to the home of Carey Marie Wilson, 37, following an anonymous tip about a May 16 incident where a dog had been shot with the bolt, according to Actions News Ajax.
The dog, a yellow labrador who was named Unicorn, had been very lucky, said officers, who revealed the bolt had ricocheted off his skull and gone only through his skin. Having initially denied the allegations, Wilson then admitted she was "tired of lying" and claimed she shot Unicorn because the dog had a history of trying to kill her chickens and had lunged towards her daughter, who has mobility issues.
"The dog doesn’t want to leave, so I grabbed a crossbow, my intentions were not to kill the dog, but to try to get the message across, ‘Get out the yard,'" she said. "My goal was not to hit the dog directly. I was trying to scare it off."
But investigators found that he was not being aggressive at the time of the shooting -- he had been peeing on a car tire in her yard. Animal services similarly said that her story didn't add up because they had received zero calls from her address. In their report, authorities also highlighted how her crossbow had been bought in Jacksonville, which could indicate that her attack was premeditated.
Wilson has been charged with felony animal cruelty but has contested the police report which accused her of lying about her motives in shooting Unicorn. "My close people know who I am, they know the truth," she said.
However, she admitted that her actions were a step too far. "It was extreme," she said. "I wish there was a different outcome."
Nassau County Animal Services has taken in Unicorn after his former owner Nick Sweat surrendered him to them because he could not afford the medical bills. "It’s rough," he said. "We enjoyed the dog. He’s a good dog, he’s a family dog, wouldn’t hurt anybody."
In a photo shared on their page on June 11, Unicorn appeared to have recovered from the horrific incident and was snapped sporting a smart vest. Officials confirmed he was recovering well at their shelter after he had been treated for heartworms and that they would take applications for adoption once he's medically cleared.
A few days later, they confirmed he had been adopted by a loving new family. Many social media users who had been closely following the developments cheered for the dog and expressed how glad they were that he found a new home.
"I'm so happy he now has a new forever home. This news is so wonderful," one wrote, while another similarly posted, "He is beautiful. So glad he found you guys."
"I knew he would do great with the right family," a third quipped.