A police officer has left a family devastated after he shot their beloved dog three times in the head when she ran out to greet him during a routine check.
Gillian Palacios and her daughter sobbed uncontrollably after Duchess, a 40-pound bull terrier mix, was blasted at point blank range by a Florida police officer.
The shocking incident was caught on surveillance footage and shows Duchess running towards the officer who backtracks before reaching for his gun.
He reportedly told Ms Palacios the dog charged at him but she said her pet was not acting aggressively.
The officer knocked on the family's door to say the car had been left open.
Ms Palacios told Fox: "Before I could even do anything, the officer had his gun out and shot her three times in the head.
"She was curious. She wasn’t barking (and) she wasn’t growling.
"There was no reason for him to think she was aggressive in any way."
The officer, who has not been named, has been put on leave while an investigation takes place but his actions have been defended by the force.
Florida City police spokesman Officer Ken Armenteros told WPLG: "We don’t have the luxury of hindsight.
"We have to use the information that is given to us in a split second.
"So, the officer has to make that decision with the information that he has available."
Duchess was a rescue dog recently adopted by Ms Palacios from a nearby shelter.
On a recently set up Justice for Dutchess Facebook page, Ms Palacios said she was rallying support to ensure the dog's "murder" does not go unnoticed.
She posted: "So many people on different sites have offered their assistance and I would like to be able to get information out in the event that we need to organize anything.
"Please share this page. Share her story."
