A male juvenile was detained after a dog was shot and killed outside a Miramar home Thursday morning, authorities said. He was later released.
Officers responded to the Melrose Point development on Southwest 31st Street after witnesses said they heard a gun shot being fired around 10:30 a.m.
The body of the animal, believed to be a puppy pit bull, was found on a sidewalk.
"Someone came out and shot the dog, just like that," witness Zaid Khan said. "That's just terrible."
Miramar Police said the detained a male juvenile Thursday evening. NBC 6 was the only news station there as officers had their guns drawn while detaining the minor. He claims he was defending his mother when he fired the shots, police said.
Prosecutors will work with investigators and decide if criminal charges against the teenager are appropriate or not.
Witnesses told NBC 6 the dog had been roaming the neighborhood after it had been tied up by a maintenance worker earlier in the day, but it broke free when it began to rain.
The dog attempted to get into one of the homes before being shooed away. The shooting happened a short time later.
The dog's owner was out of town when the puppy wandered around the neighborhood.
