An intoxicated Florida man shot and wounded the family’s dog after it tried to protect the suspect’s girlfriend during a domestic dispute, authorities said Friday.

Steven Parsons, 34, shot the pit bull mix in the face because the animal, who is said to be protective of the woman, bit him in the hand while he was yelling at her, the couple told deputies after the incident Thursday night in the city of DeBary, north of Orlando.

The pet, named Chappo, survived the shooting and is expected to be fine. He was brought to an emergency animal clinic where a vet found an entry wound near his nose and an exit wound near his mouth, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said.

The shooting happened in a bathroom next to a room where two children were at the time, authorities said. The two rooms were separated by a thin drywall, leaving the 8-year-old boy and the 10-year-old girl at risk of being shot, according to a news release.© Provided by New York Daily News Steven Parsons, 34, shot the pit bull mix in the face because the animal, who is said to be protective of the woman, bit him in the hand while he was yelling at her, the couple told deputies after the incident Thursday night in the city of DeBary, north of Orlando.

Steven Parsons, 34, shot the pit bull mix in the face because the animal, who is said to be protective of the woman, bit him in the hand while he was yelling at her, the couple told deputies after the incident Thursday night in the city of DeBary, north of Orlando.

The kids were upset but uninjured, the release said.

The couple began arguing after Parsons’ girlfriend hid his guns from him because he was intoxicated and had talked about using the weapons on himself, deputies said. The woman told investigators that Parsons became aggressive after she hid the guns, so she left the house to get away from him.

The shooting happened after she returned home around 9:30 p.m.

When deputies arrived, they immediately saw blood throughout the house and were greeted by a heavily bleeding Chappo, who had a gunshot wound between the eyes, authorities said.

“The dog was friendly toward deputies, walking around and wagging its tail, seemingly stable and alert despite the injury,” they wrote in the release.

Deputies seized Parsons’ weapons and took him to a hospital for an evaluation before arresting him.

The accused dog shooter has since been charged with animal cruelty, child abuse and shooting into a dwelling. He was being held without bond Friday at the Volusia County Jail.

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Original Article: Drunk Florida man shoots dog who was protecting woman in domestic dispute: cops (msn.com)