The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office is conferring with the State Attorney’s Office to determine whether any charges will be filed against a Navarre man who killed three dogs who attacked his chickens.
Ronald Bliss told deputies that he came home on the morning of Dec. 6 to find a large black dog and two puppies eating his chickens, according to the SRSO incident report.
He had a dead chicken in the back of his truck that he showed to the deputy.
Bliss said he scared the black dog off and went to tell the owner to get his dog. When he returned, he found the three dogs in his yard "eating more chickens," the report said.
His yard is fenced and the chickens were in his yard, the deputy noted.
Of his 16 chickens, only five survived.
The animal control officer’s report said that Bliss pulled a fence post out and beat the dogs. Two were found dead on the property, while the black dog returned to its home, but had to be put down due to its injuries.
The deputy spoke to the owner of the black dog. The owner reported that Bliss came to his yard, showed him a dead chicken and told him to get his dog.
Bliss then went back to his house and started beating the dog with bats and chains, the owner told the deputy.
The deputy explained to the owner that his dog was eating the other man’s chickens on his property and he had a right to defend his chickens.
The dog’s owner felt that Bliss should be held accountable for hurting his dog.
According to Florida statute, satisfactory proof that a dog has been or is killing any domestic livestock or pet is a "good defense" for killing that dog.
Bliss also told the deputy and animal control officer that the black dog had come after him and had a mark on his arm.
The dog will need to be tested for rabies, though it’s not clear whether the mark was a bite or a scratch, the report said.
The deputy also spoke to the owner of the two younger dogs, however she did not appear to understand what he was saying, the report said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: UPDATE: State Attorney contacted about chicken attack, dog killing