Woman pulls out gun when animal shelter won’t let her adopt dog, Florida rescue says
Police are investigating an attempted dog adoption that turned violent in Florida.
Officers responded to reports of aggravated assault around noon Saturday, Aug. 24, according to a statement by the Tampa Police Department. The attempted adoption escalated when an altercation broke out between two women, with one of them pulling out a gun, officials said.
“In all our years of rescue work, we have never encountered anything as traumatic and shocking as what happened today,” Rags to Riches Animal Rescue Inc. in Tampa said on Facebook the same day.
According to statements from the rescue, the animal shelter was hosting a “meet and greet” with a potential new owner of a dog in their care who uses a wheelchair, but when staff denied the adoption, the woman got physically violent toward staff members and tried to take the dog.
“This woman premeditated stealing our dog if we didn’t go through with the adoption,” the shelter said. “None of this would have happened if she had simply accepted ‘no’ as an answer and left. Instead, she inflicted trauma on multiple people and made us all fear for our lives.”
At some point during the incident, the woman went to her car and returned with a gun, the rescue said.
Officials said the firearm was seized as evidence.
“As with all cases, the Tampa Police Department is committed to holding suspects accountable and bringing justice to victims,” the department said in a statement.
No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, police said.
As for the dog, the shelter said she doesn’t appear physically harmed, but she appears nervous and will have a wellness check scheduled.
This story was originally published August 26, 2024 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Woman pulls out gun when animal shelter won’t let her adopt dog, Florida rescue says."
